Time Will Tell
by Twisted Vixen
Summary: The handful of meetings between Uchiha Itachi and Uzumaki Naruto were always intense. Who’d have thought there was an underlying reason for it? Yaoi, ItaNaru
1. Red Eyes

**Summary:** The handful of meetings between Uchiha Itachi and Uzumaki Naruto were always intense. Who'd have thought there was an underlying reason for it? Yaoi, ItaNaru

**Warnings:** If you didn't see it already from the summary, this is yaoi, with lemony content. Also, spoilers for future manga chapters are included in this story.

_'Italics'_ = Thoughts

The story will mostly be told as flashbacks. Each chapter will begin with narration and dialogue in Naruto's POV before the actual flashback in each chapter. I am explaining this now because I doubt any of you want to read italics for an entire chapter, nor do I want to write italics for an entire chapter.

Edited 6/26/09 - Since some can see the line breaks and others cannot, I decided to use an easier way to distinguish between the present and past. Present Day = _Italics _/ Flashback = Normal font. I hope this helps.

* * *

**TIME WILL TELL  
**

**Ch 1 - Red Eyes  
**

* * *

_Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing __brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept __away. – Marcus Aurelius_

_xxx_

_I looked out at the large crowd standing before the hokage tower. There were people lined up as far as the eye could see. It was amazingly beautiful and colorful. And it only made my excitement grow to the point I was practically bouncing on my toes._

_You see, today was a celebration...a coronation._

_It had been a long long road...One full of challenges, heartache, pain, tears. Well, there were some smiles too..._

_But here I finally stood, about to reach the pinnacle...the highest goal that I had set for myself so many years ago. There were moments I felt like giving up, felt like giving in to the many whispers or not-so-whispers around me that told me I was weak, useless, a monster, a demon. I might have listened to the villagers and ninja of old, the council, anyone who felt I was too dangerous, too unpredictable._

_But__ he wouldn't let me._

_The hustle and bustle around the hokage's office continued around me. Shizune-nee-chan was running around frantically making sure everything was in order. She had to, because Kakashi-sensei sure wasn't paying any attention. Or maybe I should say Kakashi-sama. Eh, what does it matter, I never call him that anyway. He'll always be sensei to me. Anyways, he was too busy reading his stupid porn. Even as Rokudaime, he never stopped being a pervert. Heh, Ero-sennin would be proud. Baa-chan was on the couch, already having gone through two-thirds of her first bottle of sake. Heaven forbid she be completely drunk before I even get to my speech. Kami help us all..._

_I went back to staring out of the balcony window, attempting to ignore the buzz of activity around me. I glanced at the stone hokages that watched over a much more peaceful Konoha. Just think...I will have my face up there soon with so many of those I loved and idolized. I wonder sometimes what Sarutobi-jiji and my father would think if they could see me now. Would they be proud of me? I hope I've lived up to whatever expectations they had of me._

_I turned back to the crowd and strained my enhanced eyesight to search for someone. Sure, you probably wonder how I could possibly think I would find one person in a crowd of thousands. Talk about a needle in a haystack... Well, having Kyuubi sealed inside me did have a few perks._

_Anyways, I was searching for one man with long dark hair and dark eyes, probably dressed in black. Yes, I know that's a pretty common description. But he's different. I'd know him in a heartbeat. I'd recognize him anywhere, even in a sea of people. And he promised me that he would be here. Knowing him, he's probably got on some kind of cloak in an attempt to hide his identity, although his slate had been wiped clean a few years ago._

_Uchiha Itachi._

_Don't look so surprised. He and I have come a long way. If someone had told me back when I was 12 or 13, heck even 15, that Uchiha Itachi - S-class missing nin and member of Akatsuki - and I would become so close, I'd have Rasenganed him or her into oblivion._

_I'll never forget the first day we encountered each other. Ero-sennin had gone off, most likely to conduct his perverted activities under the guise of looking for the slug sannin. I had been sitting in our room, bored to death, when __they showed up at my door._

_Akatsuki._

_Before that day, I'd never heard of them. After that day, I never stopped hearing about them. It was the first time I realized that just by being a jinchuuriki, I had become a wanted individual._

* * *

-Knock, Knock -

Naruto grumbled as he made his way to the door, figuring it was the pervert coming back after being rejected or maybe pummelled by a group of females. Swinging the door wide open, he was met with red eyes. His eyes widened.

"S-Sasuke?" No...it wasn't him. He was too tall to be Sasuke. But his eyes...they were the same. _'Who is he?'_ He was so entranced by the man's eyes that he hardly noticed or heard the shark-like giant of a man standing next to him.

"Naruto-kun, we would like you to come with us." The red-eyed man said.

"Huh?" Naruto blinked and focused on the two men. Why should he go with them? He didn't even know them. Who the hell were these people? Only when he was ordered to step out of the room did he notice the tall blue man.

"We don't need him running around. We should cut off a leg." The shark said.

_'Wha-a-a? What the hell?'_ "What's going on? Who are you?" Naruto asked warily. He received no answer, but the red eyes were still staring down into his own. The answer he finally received wasn't directed toward him at all.

"It's been a while...Sasuke." Naruto gasped as he saw his best friend standing at the other end of the corridor.

"Uchiha Itachi." Sasuke replied, his head down. "I will KILL YOU!" Naruto looked from one to the other. Why did they have the same name?

The shark smirked with those pointed teeth. "Who is this guy?" he asked Itachi.

"He is my younger brother." Itachi replied.

_'Brother?'_ Naruto gasped and stared in shock. They were brothers? And suddenly, he knew. The man Sasuke wanted to kill...this man in front of him was the one Sasuke meant to kill. His own brother. He didn't know much about the man. He knew he was in the bingo book, that he was a missing nin, and whatever he did was bad enough to make his own brother hate him. And considering the way the taller Uchiha seemed to exude power, he should've been afraid.

Actually, no, he was afraid. Terrified even. And yet, underneath all of that, he was fascinated. The red irises hypnotized him in a way that Sasuke's never had. It had nothing to do with the bloodline really...it was just because...

The orbs were deadly, but beautiful.

And just for a split second, the fear fled and all that was left was a freakish kind of fascination toward someone he should not only have feared and run from, but should have hated just on principle alone. He and Sasuke were best friends after all, so his enemies were Naruto's enemies. Right?

He watched an enraged Sasuke dash toward his brother, chidori flaring to life in his hand, going in for the kill.

Itachi caught his arm.

Naruto's mouth dropped open. Itachi had grabbed the lightning infused arm at just the right moment, remaining completely unscathed. And now he could only watch helplessly, hearing bones snap as Itachi quickly broke Sasuke's wrist.

While Sasuke screamed and fell to the floor in pain, Naruto began gathering his chakra. He had to help him somehow. However, his attempt to help was made useless with one wave of the shark man's weapon.

"My Samehada eats chakra." The man said with a self satisfied smirk. Damn him.

Naruto tried again and again, getting the same result with each wave of that damn weapon. Just when he thought it was all over for him, a toad appeared in front of him and a familar voice made itself known behind him.

Jiraiya, the toad sannin, aka super pervert.

"I, Jiraiya, this epitome of manliness! I will fall for no woman's feminine wiles! When you're someone like me you only have to flash that sexiness to have women fall at your feet!"

"..." Naruto, Itachi and the fish face sweatdropped.

Most of the talk afterward went way over his head, but there was one thing he didn't mistake hearing.

"So, you ARE after Naruto."

_'Ehhh? Why would they be after me?'_

"To abduct Naruto...those were the orders given to us by the higher echelons of our organization Akatsuki."

_'Akatsuki? Who are they? And they're after me? Why?'_

His mental queries were interrupted by Sasuke, who had gotten back up, yelling that Itachi was his. However, the older Uchiha didn't even give the younger one a chance, immediately kicking him into the wall and then grabbing him by the neck and holding him off the ground. He wanted to help but Sasuke refused to let anyone help him even though he was getting beaten badly.

With a growl, Naruto was about to run forward, no longer caring what Sasuke said. He needed help dammit!

And then the horrible screaming began. It sounded like Sasuke was being tortured and yet the two Uchiha's never moved an inch.

Jiraiya did something weird. The whole hallway suddenly turned squishy.

And before he knew it, the two Akatsuki members were gone leaving black flames behind.

But the memory of those eyes, the same as his friend's and yet so different, stayed with him forever.

xx

xx

**a/n:** As you know, my muse goes in interesting directions when I least expect it. That's how this story came up out of nowhere. Plus I always love to exploit Itachi and Naruto for my own evil yaoi devices. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please feel free to leave a review. Thanks for reading!

Also, don't forget to check my profile for information and a link on the Itachi and Naruto fanfic contest being hosted by Agni, SOY, Yum2, and (Saniwa). Two of my stories have been nominated for awards: **The Get Itachi Laid Challenge** AND **The Sun, The Moon & The Sea.** I'm so excited!


	2. Illusionary Tactics

**Summary:** The handful of meetings between Uchiha Itachi and Uzumaki Naruto were always intense. Who'd have thought there was an underlying reason for it? Yaoi, ItaNaru

**Warnings:** If you didn't see it already from the summary, this is yaoi, with lemony content. Also, spoilers for future manga chapters are included in this story.

**Disclaimer: **I neglected to put this in the last chapter, so I'll say it now...I don't own Naruto. I'd love to own Itachi though.

_'Italics'_ = Thoughts

The story will mostly be told as flashbacks. Each chapter will begin with narration and dialogue in Naruto's POV before the actual flashback in each chapter. Present Day = _Italics _/ Flashback = Normal font

**Please see the note at the end of the chapter.**

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**TIME WILL TELL  
**

**Ch 2 - Illusionary Tactics  
**

* * *

_Realize that now, in this moment of __time__, you are creating. You are creating your next moment. That is what's real. - Sara Paddison_

_xxx_

_"Hey Naruto."_

_I didn't even have to turn around to know who was standing behind me. It was only a voice I had heard every day since I entered the academy. I turned away from my spot at the window to look at my beautiful pink haired teammate._

_"Hey Sakura-chan."_

_Heh, it's kind of funny how time changes things. Once upon a time Sakura-chan was my biggest crush, my dream girl. Now she is part of my surrogate family, a sister, and I can't imagine my life without her in it._

_"Nervous?"_

_"Heh...me? Nervous? Yeah, right." Oh hell yes, I'm a nervous wreck! Hmm...I wonder if she bought that load of crap._

_"That nervous huh?" That girl knows me too well... I felt her hand wrap around mine and squeeze it. She smiled at me as she let go. "You'll do fine."_

_I watched her leave the space beside me, saw her wave as she went off to do some last minute things before the ceremony. She was about to be appointed head of the hospital now, replacing baa-chan who has finally realized she's __really old._

_I turned back to my silent vigil at the window. I was still searching after all. I know it's almost a completely fruitless search at this point, but I can't help it. I just hope he isn't in the middle of a job, or hurt, or... Gah! I shouldn't let my mind run away with thoughts like that._

_Heh, running. I've done enough of that in my life. I ran away to avoid the villagers. Ran from ninjas chasing me after pranks. When Sasuke left to seek his vengeance I ran after him. Then again, I guess you could say that there was a vicious cycle in place as regards Sasuke and I. Even Itachi... Sasuke ran after Itachi. I chased after Sasuke. Itachi hunted me._

_Although the second time I encountered Uchiha Itachi, I wasn't chasing after Sasuke. Instead I was on a mission to rescue Gaara from Akatsuki's clutches. And Itachi really wasn't all that serious about trying to catch me either. He was delaying._

* * *

Team 7 and Chiyo were speeding through the trees. She was explaining the reasons why Akatsuki wants all the tailed beasts in their possession. Naruto felt sad for all of his fellow jinchuuriki. They were nothing but monsters to them, hunted by the organization for power.

"Everyone halt!" Kakashi yelled as they stepped into the clearing. Naruto's eyes went wide at the sight of the cloaked figure that now stood in front of them.

Those red hypnotic orbs stared his way.

"Uchiha Itachi..."

"It has been a while Kakashi-san...Naruto-kun." The Uchiha spoke. But those eyes stared staight into his.

Naruto immediately felt something in his gut. He wanted to say it was fear, but he knew that wasn't the full truth. The strange fascination was back and he gritted his teeth in anger because of it. He shouldn't be thinking about that man as anything but an enemy that was delaying them from reaching Gaara and getting him out of Akatsuki's clutches.

"Everyone, don't look directly in his eyes. It's dangerous." Kakashi warned. Everyone's eyes immediately went downward. Naruto, though, had a hard time not looking back up. It took everything he had not to look. He wanted to see the spinning irises. Instead of giving in to the urge, he focused on the old lady next to him.

"What do we do?"

Her explanation was long winded, but no less informative and, well, at least the old lady was good for something. Unfortunately, Kakashi reminded us of what made Itachi rise above other genjutsu users. The most powerful form of the sharingan, the mangekyou, cannot be stopped. So much for the old lady's explanation then. Naruto cracked his knuckles, glaring at the ground. He was tired of waiting. If they were going to fight, then fight. He wouldn't be as weak as he was last time.

Just as he was ready to charge forward heedlessly, like he always did, he was held back by Kakashi. "No Naruto. I'll handle him." Naruto growled. What about all that talk of teamwork? "I want you to cover me."

Oh. Well, that wasn't so bad. As long as he got to do something. With a smile, he nodded at his sensei.

And then Itachi spoke again. "We'll kindly ask you to come with us now...Naruto-kun."

"You'll have to face me first." Kakashi said, shifting in front of Naruto. Then he sped forward to engage the Uchiha. While their enemy was distracted by Kakashi, Naruto ran forward with a rasengan and slammed it into his gut...

...Only to hear the distinct sound of a pop and a cloud of smoke filled the air._ 'Damn...Kage Bunshin.'_ He glanced away and noticed his team on the ground.

"S-Sakura-" The pink haired girl moaned and slowly rose to stand. "...chan?" He watched the red and pink blend together and turn black with red clouds, the eyes changed from green to sharingan. He gasped and twisted his head every which way. All of his teammates had become clones of Itachi. He growled in anger and his hands reached back into his pack for cold steel. Then he flung out his arms sending kunai in all directions, watching as the weapons hit their targets and hearing a pop as each of the clones disappeared. Except for the last Itachi. He dissolved into a large flock of ravens that circled over Naruto's head glaring at him like he was prey. One of the birds shifted shape into the form of the former Konoha nin.

_'Dammit! Another genjutsu.'_ Even though he hadn't been looking at the man's eyes, he still got caught. "How...?"

While the smugness may not have shown on Itachi's face, Naruto could tell by the slight inflection in the otherwise bland voice. "It's not just these eyes that I can use to cast genjutsu. If I just have one finger, that is enough."

Naruto thought about the last few minutes and cursed as he realized exactly what happened. Well shit. How pathetic was that? To get caught with just the flick of a finger. Damn him! Three years of exclusive training - if one could call it that - from Ero-sennin, and he still couldn't lay a hand on Itachi. Would he be subjected to that Mangekyou Sharingan thing, like Kakashi had? Naruto gulped at the thought. He was torn between curiosity at what the eyes could do and fear of the same thing. What the hell? Did he have a death wish or something?

Itachi somehow was able to read his thoughts. "Don't worry...I won't use the Mangekyou Sharingan...or it would be more correct to say that I can't use it at the moment."

Can't? Naruto wondered why. He glared up at what he knew was probably only an apparition of Itachi. Itachi stared down calmly while he flashed through hand signs.

"Alright...now just drop off to sleep for me."

Damn him. He tried everything to disrupt the chakra flow, to cancel the genjutsu. He did everything Ero-sennin taught him to do. And none of it was working.

"Hn...you've grown Naruto-kun. But you're still weak."

Ravens turned to shuriken and slashed his tanned skin. More of the birds transformed into weapons and dug into his clothes and skin. Pain erupted and blood flowed from each injury. Naruto kept trying to break away from the illusion, not moving a muscle, his entire body tense. _'This is genjustu...I can overcome it.'_

His skin began to peel from his face. He was close to panicking as large flakes of skin floated away. It became worse when the peeled skin revealed half the face of his best friend and rival in the curse seal's final form. The whole illusion turned into a nightmare. His own hand wrapped around his neck and slowly squeezed his breath away...he was strangling himself.

"Since I missed killing you that time." Sasuke was trying to kill him again using his own body. How do you fight off your own hand?

"Why didn't you stop Sasuke-kun?" Naruto's eyes widened in horror as Sakura's head appeared from under his jacket, her eyes accusing.

He tried even harder. _'This is genjutsu...I can stop this...I know I can.'_ His glance to the side revealed a new figure at his shoulder.

"You couldn't protect your comrades could you? Even though I had faith in you...you let me down." Kakashi-sensei too?

"It's always you who profits...Always the only one getting good luck..." Oh kami...Gaara...

Tears and sweat mingled and mixed, pouring down his face. This was his worst nightmare come true. He'd let everyone down. They blamed him for everything. Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Gaara...

Sasuke...

And then it stopped. He looked around slowly, his body shaking and his breath coming in pants. Sakura's hand was on his shoulder. Chiyo was on his other side. Kakashi was fighting Itachi.

It took everything he had not to collapse to the ground and bawl like a baby. All of it was an illusion yet it was so...so real. He looked ahead at the man responsible. Red eyes stared back.

Damn those hypnotic eyes!

He growled angrily and watched as Kakashi battled Itachi, waiting for his opening to come. When it did, he put his all into it and formed an Oodama Rasengan blasting the giant sphere into the Uchiha's body. When the dust cleared, he caught sight of the man still staring at him with a bloody smirk before a poof of smoke hid him from view. In his place lay someone that only Chiyo had seen before.

Damn! That meant Itachi was still alive somewhere. Naruto sighed to himself. He was still too weak. And he hated Itachi for being the one to reveal it.

However, deep down it still didn't stop him from being intrigued by the man. In fact, now that he was safely back in his own village, mission completed and relaxing at home, he almost morbidly wished he had seen the dangerous world that spun through the famed doujutsu.

Why he would wish to subjected to such a thing, he didn't know. Wasn't the horrible genjutsu he had just experienced been enough? Kakashi and Sasuke had both been out for days after being in that world. He should be disgusted with himself.

His hand was sitting on top of his stomach. It clenched into a fist at the thought that deep in his heart, he had wanted it. In a sick sort of way, he still did. Naruto sighed and closed his eyes and tried to forget the name Uchiha Itachi.

Damn him...

xx

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**a/n:** Ah...I love interpreting manga chapters to the tune of my own desires. XD I hope you enjoyed reading. Thank you so much for your reviews. I know this starts slowly with scenes we all know way too well. But that will be changing as we move along. (and subsequently will be longer) So stick with me ok? :)

**Also, voting has begun for the ItaNaru Awards. Voting ends May 16th, so get over there and vote! The link is in my profile. Please check out all the stories and vote for your favorites. Thanks for the support!**


	3. The Truth

**Summary:** The handful of meetings between Uchiha Itachi and Uzumaki Naruto were always intense. Who'd have thought there was an underlying reason for it? Yaoi, ItaNaru

**Warnings:** If you didn't see it already from the summary, this is yaoi, with lemony content. Also, spoilers for future manga chapters are included in this story.

**a/n:** I forgot to put this at the beginning, but this story is dedicated to **-Nightly Halo-** who wanted something a lot less angsty and depressing. No angst in this story! :) Well except for a brief one in this chapter. But all will be well soon.

_'Italics'_ = Thoughts

The story will mostly be told as flashbacks. Each chapter will begin with narration and dialogue in Naruto's POV before the actual flashback in each chapter. For those who are a bit confused. Just remember that everything before the line break is present storyline. Anything after the line break is flashback. Present Day = _Italics _/ Flashback = Normal font

* * *

**TIME WILL TELL  
**

**Ch 3 - The Truth  
**

* * *

_Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived.__ - Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)_

_xxx  
_

_I finally left the window behind. I was tired of standing and eagerly took the couch baa-chan vacated. The cushion was still slightly warm and I shifted until I found a comfortable position. For the moment it was nice and quiet. Kakashi was too busy reading. Shizune and Baa-chan had gone away taking their constant arguing with them. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my mind and keep my thoughts off of the man I was waiting for._

_"Decided to finally sit down?"_

_And just when I thought I would have complete silence, Kakashi decided to make conversation. Great..._

_"Uh...yeah."_

_I remember when I first found out Kakashi had been named the hokage. I didn't come out of my apartment for days. It just hurt too much and I felt betrayed by two people I considered practically family. I should've known, though, that Sasuke wouldn't let me mope for long and after a very volatile fight that left my apartment in ruins - although I can't complain since Sasuke felt bad enough to let me stay with him - I began to let go of my resentment and slowly returned to normal. Eventually I was even able to laugh at the idea of Kakashi as hokage. He just never seemed to be the type. He was lazier than baa-chan and he loved his privacy. Why else would he be so obsessed with wearing a mask? But, really, he did a great job. He even put the council in their place._

_Truthfully, I should probably thank him. If not for his intervention, I doubt I'd ever be in this position._

_"Find what you were looking for?"_

_"Actually, no...not yet." No, no Itachi yet, but I would keep looking when I felt like going back to the window._

_"What are you looking for anyway?"_

_I glanced up at him, amused by the fact that his eyes never left the pages of his book. It still amazed me how he was able to read and yet still hear everything going on around him. Oh sure, he played the game well...especially with Gai. He acted like he wasn't listening. But he always was. In fact, he probably was more alert behind his book than any of us would ever be with or without a book to preoccupy us._

_"Nothing." He was still looking at the page, but I didn't miss his eyebrow raise slightly. Ok, fine, it was a lie, we both knew it. "Well, I was just waiting to see if everyone I invited would show up." Wow...that was even more lame. If Kakashi-sensei didn't recognize __that as a lie..._

_"Ah."_

_Well, that was surprising. I figured he would call me on it._

_"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure you'll find it after the ceremony is over."_

_Yeah...I can only hope. If anything bad happens to him, I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I could deal with it again._

_When our paths crossed that third time, we had been searching for Sasuke. However, we had decided to employ a new tactic...find Itachi. If we found Itachi, we'd surely find Sasuke. And for me, that was all that mattered at the time. I had no idea how much everything between he and I would begin to change that day._

* * *

Shadow clones of Naruto went off in every possible direction. The real Naruto went in a direction not chosen by any of his clones. And then he saw it. _'Sharingan.'_ When he saw those ruby eyes peering out of the shadows, his first thought was that it was Sasuke.

He was wrong.

Itachi was the one who stepped out of the shadows of the trees. The first thought Naruto had was that he hated the Uchihas for having such perfect genes. A little piece of him was disturbed for finding the man attractive, but really, who could blame him. One couldn't help but see the beauty in Itachi, or even Sasuke for that matter.

He almost shuddered at the thought. Why was he thinking of Sasuke like that? Hell, why was he thinking of Itachi like that?

When those red eyes found him hiding, a shiver went up his spine. But not for the reason one would think. It wasn't fear. It was anticipation. This was his chance! With Itachi right there he was another step closer to getting to Sasuke.

"Show yourself Uzumaki Naruto."

Knowing his cover was blown, Naruto stepped out of the trees. He had no idea what he was going to do. He was alone and he had no plan. All he had were his clones. But he would do whatever it took to beat Itachi. He had to. It was the only way to get to Sasuke.

"Finally gonna try and capture me?" he asked the older Uchiha.

"No...I merely want to talk to you."

_'Huh? Itachi's here, I'm alone, and all he wants to do is talk?'_ Naruto was confused. He expected a battle. He expected to be subjected to all kinds of crazy genjutsu. Was this some kind of trick?

Two clones jumped out the treeline, kunai in hands. He remembered what old lady Chiyo said last time. If it was one on one, your only hope is escape. Two on one, attack from behind. But the clones were quickly disposed of by Itachi without him even turning around.

...He hated Uchihas.

Naruto saw the painted fingers move and he immediately looked down. He had to be careful of Itachi's illusions. He wasn't going to be stupid enough to fall for that little technique twice.

"I see you learned a little about fighting the sharingan. You must know what to do when you're alone...why aren't you running?"

"Because with me, my numbers can be anywhere from one to a thousand." Naruto grinned. "Besides, I can't afford to run this time. I gotta capture you so I can find Sasuke!"

Itachi stared at the blond in surprise. He couldn't miss the determination on the tanned face. Why does he care so much for someone who left his village behind? "What is it about my brother that makes you care about him so much? He's a rogue ninja who abandoned you."

"Because he's like a brother to me... And I'm a better brother than you ever were!"

Itachi turned solemn at the words, not that anyone could tell. If only Naruto knew...

Naruto meanwhile had enough of talking and went on the offensive, running toward Itachi. With a slight smirk, Itachi opened his cloak. Out flew a horde of crows that immediately surrounded Naruto. One flew close enough for the blond to see the bird's eye. It was a...sharingan? His eyes went wide.

"That's right Naruto-kun. You are already trapped in my illusion."

Dammit! How could he get caught again? What did he miss?

The birds merged together into a blob and the blob formed into Itachi's upper half.

"I'll say it once more. I only wish to talk to you."

Naruto didn't believe him, but he had no defense against the illusion. He had no choice but to hear Itachi out.

"You want to bring Sasuke back don't you? But what if he doesn't want to go?"

Naruto grimaced. He refused to admit that the question had crossed his mind more than once over the last few months. He'd already faced that problem twice before. Would it be the same again? It didn't matter. He would do whatever he had to.

"I'll do whatever I have to to bring him back."

"By force if necessary? If all goes well and Sasuke goes quietly that's one thing. But what if it's the opposite?"

Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion. Why was Itachi asking him these questions? Why did he even care?

"What do you mean?"

"You said you thought of Sasuke as a brother. Well, I'm asking you what you'd do if Sasuke were to attack Konoha."

"What...? Why would Sasuke... He'd never do that!" _'Would he?'_ Naruto wasn't feeling as positive as he sounded.

Itachi continued. He needed Naruto to understand... "Sasuke is still pure. He could easily be colored by anything. If that should happen would you be able to stop him...even if it meant killing him?"

Naruto gasped and stared at Itachi wide-eyed. Kill Sasuke? He didn't have a ready answer. His mind spun with the different scenarios. When he'd last seen Sasuke, his friend was about to stab him with a sword.

And he would've let him.

"Could you weigh Sasuke's life against Konoha?"

Cound he really do it? Could he kill Sasuke as easily as it seemed Sasuke was willing to kill him? His best friend or Konoha...what meant more? Naruto thought about all the implications and found his answer. "I'd protect Konoha and find a way to stop Sasuke without killing him!"

"You're such a child." Naruto cringed at the statement. "You talk of nothing but pipe dreams...There are times when a ninja must make painful choices."

Naruto stared ahead and thought of his sensei. Ero-sennin had said those same words to him after he'd failed to bring Sasuke back. And just like then, he was not going to be swayed from what he believed.

"I won't bend my words. That's what being a ninja means to me."

Naruto glared at the other man as he spoke those words with such conviction and determination. Itachi stared back. Then he saw something shocking.

Itachi smiled.

Sure, it wasn't much of one, but it was more than he ever thought he would see from the blank faced Akatsuki member. And the man suddenly seemed more at peace...relieved, like a heavy load had been lifted. He had a fleeting thought floated to the surface - and for once, he was happy that he'd finally learned (at least a bit) to think before he spoke. _'You should smile more.'_ The slight change of expression gave Itachi a softness in his face that was never seen by others. It made him beautiful.

And it was at that moment he knew that there had to be more to the man in front of him than he, Sasuke, or Konoha ever knew.

Suddenly a crow dived right for him and flew into his mouth. _'What the hell?'_

"I've given you some of my power. I hope the day never comes when you have to use it."

Naruto looked around. They were back in the forest on solid ground. Itachi was still standing across from him.

"Wh...What do you mean?" Something was wrong with this picture. Itachi shouldn't be talking to him...shouldn't be asking him about Sasuke. He should be trying to capture him...take him away to Akatsuki. Why wasn't he trying to take him? "You're after me aren't you? Then why not take me now?"

Why the hell was he caring why Itachi wasn't trying to take him? He should be relieved. And why wasn't he trying to capture Itachi?

Itachi just stood there, still giving Naruto that small smile. He was content. Sasuke would be in good hands. Naruto proved himself worthy of the task of protecting his otouto. Now he could do what he set out to do without worry. "I'm going now. I have something more important to do."

Naruto was struggling with something in his mind. This whole situation just wasn't right. He looked up and saw Itachi about to turn away.

"Wait!"

Itachi surprisingly stopped and stayed where he was, sharingan boring into his own as he waited for Naruto to speak.

"The Uchiha Massacre...there's more to it than what we've heard isn't it?"

"Hn." Itachi smirked slightly. "You're more intelligent than you let on. Maybe you should stop acting the part of the village idiot."

"Hey!" Naruto glared indignantly. Itachi didn't respond to his huffing. He knew that there was more to Naruto than everyone else always saw. However, he had no time to address that. Instead he gave Naruto a cryptic message.

"Everything you want to know you will find where I left it. My chakra will guide you to the truth." With a final nod at Naruto he disappeared.

Naruto suddenly felt a bit sad. He wasn't sure why. He just had a feeling. "Please...don't die...Itachi." The words Naruto whispered on the wind came from the heart.

He should be heading back to his team. But he didn't move. In just a few short minutes his view of the world had tilted a bit more than before. Itachi had become a complete contradiction. He had killed his entire family, became a missing nin, and joined a rogue organization that was capturing jinchuuriki. Yet, he seemed to care about his brother and Itachi didn't seem all that interesting in capturing him either.

Right here, right now, everything he thought he knew had just been called into question with only a few sentences from Itachi.

Who was Itachi really?

He might not ever get the chance to find out. Itachi was going to fight Sasuke after all, and he had a feeling it would be to the death this time. For some reason, the thought of either one of them dying was enough to make him physically ill. He didn't want to lose his best friend. But, he didn't want Itachi to die either. They were family. Family isn't supposed to fight. Not like that.

Thinking back to Itachi's questions, understanding slowly filtered through Naruto mind. Itachi was going to die. He had planned it that way. Tears filled his eyes and threatened to fall. It wasn't right. It shouldn't be this way. How does a family end up so dysfunctional? Where had the Uchiha clan gone wrong? What could've happened so long ago that would make Itachi kill his entire family?

He wanted to know.

xxx

It was after Naruto was back with the team and while battling that goofy masked man that he heard the news.

Itachi was dead.

Sasuke killed Itachi.

Naruto ran like hell. He had to get to Sasuke before Akatsuki did. But they were too late.

Sasuke had been the victor. But he still wouldn't be coming home.

Again Naruto would be coming home empty-handed, even worse, empty-hearted. Except, he wasn't sure which person his heart felt empty for...Sasuke, who was lost in his hate? Or Itachi, who was gone from this world because he instigated that hate?

On his first night back in the village Naruto went on his own personal mission. He sneaked onto the Uchiha grounds. He didn't have to worry about being followed. No one would want to. The place was too creepy. The entire compound was suspended in time. The reminder of what had happened that one night was still easily seen by the walls and street. He shivered. How had Sasuke continued to stay here?

Blocking off his fear of ghosts, he put one foot lightly in front of the other, deciding to start with what was most familiar. The Uchiha mansion. He wanted to know what truth he was missing.

Itachi was right. The chakra he'd gotten from him gave him a free pass to everything Uchiha. By the time the night was over, he found out so much more than he ever wanted to know.

He now knew the truth of the Uchiha massacre. He knew the truth about Uchiha Itachi.

And that morning when he crawled into bed in his lonely apartment, he cried for innocence lost, for Konoha, for Sasuke, for Itachi.

xx

xx

**a/n:** Sorry for the delay in updating. If anyone's read my profile in the last week, you'll know it's been pretty tiring. I'm still trying to get my head back into writing. I've been reading more than writing this week. Thank you for your patience and your reviews! I think I've answered them all. I'm trying to catch up lol. Anyways, here lies chapter three. This chapter had quite a solemn feel to it didn't it? Well, it was needed. But things will pick up a bit soon. Hope you enjoyed it and please review. This will be the last chapter based on the manga. The rest from chapter 4 and on will be out of my own little head. And the chapters wll be quite a bit longer. Wonder how that will turn out eh? Stay tuned!


	4. Phoenix Rising

**Summary:** The handful of meetings between Uchiha Itachi and Uzumaki Naruto were always intense. Who'd have thought there was an underlying reason for it? Yaoi, ItaNaru

**Warnings:** If you didn't see it already from the summary, this is yaoi, with lemony content. Also, spoilers for future manga chapters are included in this story.

_'Italics'_ = Thoughts

The story will mostly be told as flashbacks. Each chapter will begin with narration and dialogue in Naruto's POV before the actual flashback in each chapter. Present Day = _Italics _/ Flashback = Normal font

**a/n:** Just for the record, as you know, it is a fact that Itachi is still alive in my story. There will be speculation as to why, but don't look for a logical explanation, you won't get one. Just be happy he's still around. XD

* * *

**TIME WILL TELL**

**Ch 4 - Phoenix Rising**

**

* * *

**_Time is a physician which heals every grief.** - **Diphilus_

_xxx_

_Kakashi-sensei disappeared. Knowing him like I do, he's probably on a roof somewhere reading his porn. Well, now that I was alone and the opportunity had presented itself, I decided it was only right that I test out the chair that would, in another hour, officially be mine. I sat down with a flourish, leaned back in the chair with my hands behind my head, stretched out my legs and placed my sandal clad feet on the desk._

_Hmm...this chair wasn't as comfortable as I thought it would be. How the hell did baa-chan fall asleep sitting on this all the time? Must've been the effects of all that sake._

_Well, no matter...this chair will be the first thing I change about this office._

_I sighed and closed my eyes._

_"Naruto, what have I told you about defacing public property? Get your feet off that desk!"_

_Yikes! I opened my eyes to find my old academy teacher on the other side of the desk looking ready to pop a blood vessel._

_"Iruka-sensei!" It's been a while since I've had a chance to really talk with him. I've been too busy training and he's been too busy teaching. No matter what, though, he would always be my father figure. Wait, why was he looking at me like that?_

_"Ahem."_

_Oh...yeah. The feet... I scrambled to put my feet on the floor and glanced up at Iruka to gauge how angry he was. He was no longer twitching. Phew!_

_"What are you doing here?"_

_"Well, I thought it would be nice to see you before the big moment. So, how does it feel to finally see your dream come true?"_

_"Don't jinx me! There's still an hour left. Kakashi could change his mind or something." I laughed at that thought. __'Yeah, right. He'll be so happy to get back to his private life, he'll probably run out of here before I even finish my speech.'_

_"I doubt that. My other reason for coming is this." He held up a bag. A familiar scent drifted my way. I smelled..._

_"RAMEN!" Iruka grinned and placed the bag on the desk._

_"I thought it would be nice to have one last ramen with Uzumaki Naruto. After this, I wouldn't be surprised if I have to make an appointment just to dine with Naruto-__sama." I laughed at that._

_"Don't you dare start calling me that! You've known me way too long to be calling me 'Naruto-sama'. And you know I'll always have time for ramen with you." I watched Iruka pull out a carton for me and one for him along with two pairs of chopsticks. With matching grins, we pulled the sticks apart._

_"Itadakimasu!"_

_Ah yes! My favorite...miso and pork. It smells soooo good! Ichiraku's makes ramen better than anyone else. No other ramen has been able to match up yet. Even that other ramen place near that bathhouse, although very good, wasn't Ichiraku's. I remember wanting to go so badly the first night I was there but __somebody wouldn't allow it. Of course, who'd have thought I'd meet him there in the first place._

_That meeting was obviously a shock._

* * *

Almost two years had passed since Sasuke returned to Konoha. Akatsuki was destroyed, with Sasuke's assistance, and he came back voluntarily with Naruto. Naruto was happier than anyone. It didn't even matter that Sasuke had been sentenced first to imprisonment and then house arrest for a year. Life had eventually returned to normal and slowly but surely Naruto and Sasuke rebuilt their friendship into what was now a brotherhood. Exactly what Naruto had always wanted. The two resolved to rise through the ranks together and that's exactly what they began to do.

But a few days before his eighteenth birthday, he suffered a broken heart. There was a part of him that had always held back from feeling overly excited at the possibility...just for that reason. But when it actually happened, it still hurt more than he ever thought it could. The council had denied Tsunade's request to make him her successor. It was denied so adamantly, he knew that it would take their deaths before he'd ever have a chance at being hokage. They basically stated that he would never have their complete trust because carrying the Kyuubi made him dangerous. Some of them even recommended Sasuke, an ex-traitor, as a candidate instead of him.

Even Sasuke had rolled his eyes in disgust at that.

His friends did their best to comfort him when they heard the news. And he remembered smiling at them with that goofy smile he'd perfected over the years, telling them he was fine. Only Tsunade, Sasuke, Sakura, and probably Shikamaru - since he was too observant a genius for his own good - could tell he had been lying.

And just to add insult to injury, the inauguration would be held the day after the Kyuubi festival. Nice way to make his life even more miserable.

Fortunately for him, Tsunade summoned him into her office the next day and gave him his birthday present early. It was the best present he could've gotten...a way out of the village for two weeks and he didn't have to pay for it. She mercifully scheduled the trip so that he would miss the Kyuubi festival and the inauguration. He was so happy to get away from the village, he had run home, thrown everything he needed into his pack and practically ran out of the village with only a note for his teammates.

So now, here he was, far from Fire Country, walking to the hot springs resort where Tsunade already had reservations made for him. The weight he had been bearing the last few days had disappeared from his shoulders. He felt so much freer.

Naruto whistled as he entered the building. It was late in the evening and he was looking forward to finally resting after his long trip. He'd spent the last three days sleeping in trees and was happy he'd be sleeping in a real bed for the next few days. He approached the receptionist with the confirmation for his reservation. She smiled and welcomed him to the resort, gave him the key to his room, and directions to everything in the vicinity. With a nod of understanding he went to his room. He smiled at the idea of taking a late evening dip and, once he was in his room, wasted no time stripping out of the sweaty clothes he traveled in and took a shower. After putting on a pair of boxers, he grabbed the plain yukata on the peg and put it on.

He left the room and leisurely walked to the hot springs. He looked up at the evening sky with it's reddish purple hue. It would be dark soon, but that didn't bother him. He was looking forward to his time to relax and at least in the dark, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone else in the hot springs bothering him. Once at the springs, he left the yukata and boxers in a locker and wrapped one of the complimentary towels around his waist, then went to the men's springs. He placed his things close to the edge so he could reach them if needed and then he stepped into the water. A happy sigh left his lips as the blissful heat seeped into his muscles and bones. He closed his eyes. It was wonderful!

The blond was so caught up in the relaxing atmosphere that he never noticed there was another person in the springs with him. It was only at the slightly familiar chuckle that he shivered and opened his eyes, staring ahead at where he heard the sound.

A pair of ruby eyes flashed into view before they disappeared and Naruto rolled his eyes. "Why are you here Sasuke? Baa-chan making you keep tabs on me or something?"

Another chuckle left the person's lips and Naruto's eyes narrowed. The steam inhibited his view so he couldn't clearly see the features. But one thing was for sure...that wasn't Sasuke.

"It's been a long time...Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes went wide. That voice... There was no mistaking it, but...

"I-It can't be...Y-you're d-dead."

"Am I really?" Through the haze, he saw the figure stand and walk toward him. Naruto wanted to jump out of the water and go running screaming about ghosts but he couldn't...his legs refused to cooperate.

"Don't come any closer." Naruto warned reaching back and grabbing a kunai. "I mean it!" The familiar smooth metal made him feel more comfortable.

A hand reached out toward him.

"Don't touch me! I'll kill you."

"Afraid of me?" The supposed specter murmured. "You were never fearful before." The pale finger lowered and he stood only inches away from Naruto. "You know, if I were a ghost, I would be unable to touch you. Nor would your weapons be of any use."

Naruto tried to calm his trembling as the figure that looked so much like _him_ moved a bit closer.

"I'm not a ghost Naruto-kun. Touch me and see for yourself."

"Oh no! I'm not falling for that!" Naruto tightly gripped his weapon, ready to lunge at the apparition. With a very familiar smirk, the so-called 'ghost' lunged so quickly Naruto couldn't counter and grabbed his wrist yanking him into his arms.

"You see?" he asked as he took Naruto's palm and held it against his chest. "I'm as alive as you."

The blond trembled and held his breath as he splayed his trembling fingers and placed his palm over where the heart should be. Once he felt the strong steady beat, his eyes widened and he let out the breath he was holding in a whoosh. But...how was this possible?

"H-How?" _'You're supposed to be dead...'_

The taller man gave an elegant shrug of his shoulder. "Actually, I'm not too sure how to answer that myself. Maybe it's your fault. You did tell me not to die after all."

Naruto glared. "Don't fool with me Itachi. Madara and that Aloe Vera dude said you were dead. We ran after Sasuke to try and get to him before Akatsuki did. But we were too late. Sasuke was gone. And so were you."

Itachi was silent. Naruto finally took notice of the proximity of their naked bodies. With a squeak, he blushed and jumped backwards but he lost his footing and almost fell under the water if not for Itachi's quick hands that pulled him up again. Naruto looked down, his blush growing darker. He hoped it was too dark for the Uchiha to notice it. Fortunately, he didn't, or maybe he just chose not to acknowledge it. Instead he shifted and took a seat next to the blond.

"It's the truth. I don't know. I remember using Susanoo against Sasuke. It was my final move. I knew I would have no chakra left after that. I had just enough energy to give Sasuke my parting gift before everything went dark. I died, I'm sure of it. At first when I opened my eyes, I thought I was in some kind of afterlife, but when I looked at my surroundings, I was back at the place where Sasuke and I battled. Not only that, my eyesight was back and I felt healthier than I had in a long time."

"So you were going blind just like the scrolls said." Naruto mused. Itachi gave him a nod.

"Ah, so you did read them." Naruto nodded.

"You were right. Your chakra gave me access to everything. I think I found out much more than I ever wanted to." he sadly noted.

"Hn." Itachi nodded and stared ahead into the distance. Naruto watched him and waited. He hoped Itachi did something more than grunt. Maybe an explanation... That would be nice. Itachi though, returned to his previous story.

"I shouldn't be alive. It shouldn't be possible. Zetsu should've immediately disposed of my body when I died and took my ring. Instead..." Itachi held his hand out and Naruto saw the ring that was synonymous with Akatsuki. "But I couldn't feel the power in the ring anymore."

"Power?" Itachi could clearly see Naruto's confusion.

"Yes. When you became a member, you received a ring. Once you put the ring on, the power would activate and stay attached to your finger until the day you died. Only then would the power be released. As you can see, it's just a normal ring now." Itachi pulled the ring off of his finger for a moment before slipping it back on. Naruto's brows furrowed a bit.

"Why do you keep it?"

Itachi stared at the ring for a long time...so long, Naruto didn't think he would get an answer. He was about to drop it and ask something else when the raven finally spoke.

"To remember."

Naruto wasn't sure what to think. He wanted to ask Itachi what he meant, but he had a feeling he shouldn't pry any further.

"Well, no matter how you're here, I'm glad you're still alive."

"Hn." Itachi was inclined to agree.

It was quiet for a while, except for the sounds of water lapping against them. No one else was in the pool at such a late hour so the two men were alone. Naruto tried not to think too much about the fact that he was in the hot springs with a man who could be considered one of the most dangerous, gorgeous, and sexy men in all the ninja nations.

Surprisingly, it was Itachi who broke the silence between them. "So, what brings you here alone? You're quite a long way from home."

Naruto's mood, which had brightened over the last few days, immediately plummeted. "I'm...on vacation."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. Normally, such a statement would have more enthusiasm. Obviously, there was more to it than Naruto was telling.

"Something happen?"

Naruto chuckled without mirth. "Yeah...something. It's a long story."

Itachi gave a nod of understanding. "Well, as you can see, I have time." Naruto sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Maybe later. After I've gotten some food in my empty stomach." He was hoping Itachi would forget about it by then.

"Well then, we should eat." Before Naruto could reply, Itachi stood up and without shame climbed out of the water. Naruto's eyes went wide before he turned away. But it wasn't quick enough to avoid seeing every single bit of the older man's assets. Strangely, he didn't blush bright red with embarrassment at the sight. Rather, he was enraptured. That alone scared the hell out of him. He grabbed his own towel and got out of the water, wrapped the towel around him quickly, and caught up with the Uchiha.

"Who said I was going to eat with you?"

"Hn."

"That's not an answer!" Damn Uchihas. They all were bastards. All two of them.

"What is your room number?" Itachi asked Naruto. The two of them walked to the locker room.

"15...Why?" He put the yukata back on before slipping the towel off of his body. Then he pulled on his boxers. He made painstakingly sure that he would avoid looking anywhere in his companion's direction. Kami knows he didn't want to see anything else. It was bad enough the memory of that milky white skin that gleamed in the moonlight had been permanently imprinted on his brain.

"Ah. I am in 20." The two left the locker room and walked toward their rooms.

"Hey! You never told me what you were doing here." Naruto said. Itachi gave him a smirk, which made the blond wary. He'd seen that more than enough times from Sasuke.

"If you go out to eat with me, you'll find out."

Naruto glared at him. Itachi still held that infernal smirk and Naruto felt the urge to slap it off. Except, unlike Sasuke, he was sure Itachi just might kill him for the offense.

Ah yes...he hated Uchihas. He wanted to walk away...really he did. But, damn his curiosity. It wouldn't let him do it. "Fine." He grumbled and stalked off toward his room without another word.

* * *

The two men sat across from one another at a local izakaya located a few steps away from the resort. Naruto pouted slightly. They'd spent 10 minutes arguing over where to eat. Or maybe it was better to say he argued. Itachi shot down his arguments.

He wanted ramen. Itachi said no...More than once.

That's why they were in this place that served more drinks than food. Well, ok, Naruto figured he really couldn't blame Itachi. It was late, and their options were somewhat limited at this time of night. But dammit, the ramen bar was still open!

"You know, pouting doesn't become you Naruto-kun."

He glared at the man. Maybe if he glared hard enough Itachi would turn to ash. Unfortunately, the Uchiha clan might as well have invented the glare, so Itachi was immune. With a final smirk at the younger blond, he brought his drink to his lips and sipped. Itachi never was much of a drinker. He never liked the idea of being inebriated. Especially since as a missing nin, he needed to always be alert to his surroundings. But today, he splurged on some sake.

Naruto growled lightly then concentrated on the yakitori he ordered. Itachi had kushiyaki. They ate in silence and observed the people around them. It was loud, but not unbearably so. Naruto sipped on his tea and glanced at his companion when he wasn't looking his way. Itachi's long hair was in his normal tie. He wore a dark yukata with red designs that fit his form perfectly. He almost felt jealous. Itachi looked like he was born to wear fine clothing. Naruto, meanwhile, never had much of an opportunity to wear anything like this. He was always forced away from village festivals so he never felt the need to buy anything fancy. Kakashi-sensei forced him to buy one last year for a mission. It was light blue with a golden trim. But he felt plain in it next to Itachi.

Once they finished their meal, they left and took a leisurely walk down the mostly quiet street. There were a few people milling about outdoors, but most were on their way home or to their room at the resort. He followed the slightly taller man into a park. Itachi gracefully seated himself on a bench and gestured for Naruto to do the same.

"So?" Naruto asked as he sat. Itachi raised a brow in question. "You were going to explain why you're here."

"To put it simply, I'm between jobs."

"Jobs?"

"Yes. You see, after I spent a couple of weeks coming to terms with the fact that I was somehow still alive, I began to realize something. The entire world knew of my death. That meant I was free...free from Akatsuki, free from my former obligations. I don't think I've ever been anything more than a tool for someone, whether it was my clan, the village, or Akatsuki. So I decided it was time to live for myself...figure out exactly who Uchiha Itachi is. I got a little place of my own and then I hired myself out to those needing assistance."

"Ninja for hire eh? Sounds weird coming from you."

Itachi chuckled. "It's not so bad. At least I can live my own life."

"I think I might be jealous." Naruto grinned at the brunet. "So...did you figure out who you are yet?"

"Hmm...I've figured out a few things. I'm still working on it though." Naruto laughed. Itachi's lips quirked up into a slight smile.

"You should smile more often, you know."

"Hn." Naruto rolled his eyes. Still a bastard... "Anyway, I decided to come here to relax before getting to my next assignment. I'll be leaving in the morning." Naruto's mood dipped again. This new Itachi seemed interesting. He was hoping to get to know him.

"Why didn't you just come back to Konoha? Between myself and Sasuke, we would've cleared your name. In fact, that's already been taken care of now for obvious reasons."

"So I've heard. But I'm dead to Sasuke. And he's finally made peace with it. He's gotten closure. For the sake of his sanity, I'm better off dead to him." Naruto shook his head at Itachi's words. "Trust me. It's better this way."

Blue eyes narrowed. He didn't agree. Sasuke needed his brother, even if he never said anything about it. He could tell that Sasuke wished Itachi was there to talk to him, to explain, to chase away his demons. That wasn't closure. Not by a long shot.

"For you or for Sasuke?"

Itachi glared, but didn't answer. Instead he shifted the subject. "Well, I told you my reasons for being here. Now it's your turn. Why are you here? I know this is not just a vacation." Naruto sighed. Damn the man for avoiding the subject at his expense.

"It is actually. I guess you could say it's for my health."

"You look the picture of perfect health Naruto-kun."

"Of course I am. But considering the time of year, that status could've changed."

Itachi raised a brow in confusion. Naruto sighed and looked down at the grass tickling his sandal clad feet.

"What's the date today Itachi?"

"October nin... Oh..."

"Yeah. Usually I try my best to get a mission around that time. But with peace spreading, there are fewer missions to go around. So this was my birthday present from the hokage...Two weeks away from Konoha."

"The Kyuubi festival only lasts a couple of days." Itachi blandly stated with a raised brow.

_'Damn perceptive Uchiha.'_ Naruto was hoping Itachi wouldn't ask. And he wasn't the type to lie. He sighed again and slumped on the bench letting his head rest against the wood as he stared up into the night sky.

"Baa-chan's retiring." Itachi had to think for a moment before he realized Naruto was talking about the hokage.

"She's picked her successor?"

"Yeah she did." Naruto bit his lip then turned his head away so Itachi couldn't see it. "The council wasn't too happy about her choice and rejected it then pushed their own."

Itachi nodded slowly. He suddenly understood exactly why Naruto was here. "They rejected you." Naruto nodded sadly.

"The inauguration is the day after the festival."

"Ah. So, who did they choose?"

"Ah, that's the kicker. The eventual choice was Kakashi, but only after deciding that their other choice was too inexperienced. If not they would've chosen him." Naruto barked out a bitter laugh. "Wouldn't that have been ironic!"

Itachi, although it couldn't be seen from his impassive expression, felt sorry for the blond. He could tell it hurt the boy deeply that his dream had been given to someone else. He wondered who the other choice was.

"Who?"

Naruto answered in a whisper, but it couldn't be more clearly heard. "Sasuke."

Itachi's eyes widened at that. Had Konoha become such fools as to leave the village in the hands of someone who had betrayed the village and didn't give a care about anyone in it except for the blond next to him? "Foolish."

"Yeah, that's what he said too." Naruto clenched his hands into fists. "I've done everything they've asked of me and then some. I've spent my entire life protecting Konoha. I've come close to death more than once. I helped take down Akatsuki. I've never ever - as much as I may have wanted to - touched a villager in retaliation. But they still don't trust me. They won't even allow me to become a jounin. Sasuke and I were supposed to take the exam together. After rejecting my application for the third time, I had to finally force Sasuke to take it without me." With a sigh, he closed his eyes and threw a hand over his face. "I'm just tired...so tired of it all. Maybe I should just stop trying." He mumbled the last words.

"You're giving up. Just like that?"

Naruto's head shot up and he scowled. "What else should I do Itachi?"

"Keep fighting like you always have. If you give up now, then you weren't the person I thought you were." Naruto looked down and mulled over the words. Itachi went on. "Look, I'll make a deal with you. The day you become hokage will be the day I come home."

Naruto looked up in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes." Itachi held out his hand.

Naruto gave it some thought and slowly a true smile spread over his face and the light of hope returned to his eyes. He grabbed the pale hand and shook it. "You've got a deal. And you know I'll hold you to it."

"Of course."

* * *

The sun shined brightly through the window. Naruto had no choice but to wake up because of the light in his eyes. He grumbled as he sat up and rubbed away the last vestiges of sleep. His stomach wasted no time growling it's awareness and he patted it in promise of feeding it. It seems breakfast was calling.

A knock at the door stopped his thoughts of food.

With a yawn and a stretch, he got up and walked toward the door, running his hands through his hair as he opened it.

Uchiha Itachi was standing on the opposite side with a bag in his hand. After a glance at the blond's state of undress, his lips slowly morphed into a smirk that Naruto would later remember as downright sexy. "Good morning Naruto-kun. Just awakening I see."

Naruto looked down at himself and his distinct lack of clothing except a pair of boxers. His entire body erupted into a blush.

"Uh...come in." he mumbled, then darted off and slammed the bathroom door, leaving Itachi to close the door to his room. A few minutes later, Naruto returned in a t-shirt and shinobi pants. Itachi gave the blond a nod and gestured to a full plate of food.

"Breakfast?"

"I thought you were leaving this morning."

"I am."

"But then why..." Naruto trailed off.

"I am leaving _after _breakfast, which I decided to spend with you."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You just want to make sure I don't eat ramen for breakfast."

"Exactly."

"I swear, you're just like your brother." He growled in exasperation but wasted no time digging into the meal of rice balls, fish and fruit. Naruto may love his ramen, but he wasn't picky about food. Itachi chuckled and ate his own meal at his usual sedate pace.

"So, when do you start heading back?" Itachi asked after he finished his meal.

"Three days from now."

"Ah." Itachi stood up and grabbed his pack. "Well, thank you for your company. I regret to say I must go now."

"We'll see each other again though, right?" Naruto asked anxiously. He hoped so. For some reason, he felt the need to see Itachi again, as soon as he could. Itachi met the cobalt eyes with his own and stared for the longest time. It was almost like he was looking for something. Finally he smirked and passed Naruto a package.

"What's this?" Naruto asked, looking down at the long wrapped object in confusion.

"It is your birthday is it not?"

"Oh...yeah." Naruto was surprised. Itachi was giving him a gift? He didn't notice how close Itachi had gotten until a finger slid under his chin and lifted his face to look into the dark fathomless eyes once more. Itachi leaned closer and brushed his lips against Naruto's.

"Yes. I'm sure our paths will cross again Naruto-kun." he stated softly before he stepped back, opened the door and left. Naruto pressed his fingers against his lips in awe as he stared at the door. The kiss may have been feather light in touch, but Naruto could still feel the slight pressure of the thin lips against his own. Half a minute later, he shook himself out of his stupor and ran out the door.

"ITA...chi..." He looked up and down the walkway. Itachi was gone. Naruto sighed and closed the door and leaned against it. He saw Itachi's gift on the floor where he left it when he ran outside. Walking over to it, he sat down cross-legged and picked up the package. Slowly he unraveled the cloth to reveal twin kodachis. He gasped and lifted one of them. It was shorter than a traditional sword and a bit lighter. But for him, it was perfect. He had never really been interested in a katana like Sasuke's...it wasn't his thing. But these he was willing to learn to use. He examined the hilt and noticed the familiar symbol of the Uchiha clan. His eyes narrowed. _'He didn't...'_ Picking up the piece of paper that was attached, he opened it and read the note written in Itachi's distinctive style.

_I received these when I entered anbu. Once I left, I no longer had a use for them. I've been waiting for someone worthy to take them up again.  
You're the only person I consider worthy enough to use them. Consider it a gift. Train well Naruto-kun and protect Konoha._

_- Uchiha Itachi_

Naruto smiled and re-wrapped his gift, stashing it with his things. What he had thought would be another birthday spent alone had turned out to be one of the best birthdays he had ever had.

Heh, wait until he showed them off to Sasuke!

xx

xx

Hmm, guess I should provide a glossary eh?

**Izakaya** - Japanese style bar that also serves food.

**Yakitori** - Chicken, skewered and grilled

**Kushiyaki** - Simply speaking, shish-kabobs

**Kodachi** - Short sword

**a/n:** Thanks so much for your reviews! I eat them for breakfast. XD I hope you enjoyed the chapter. As you can see, I've completely diverted from canon. Ahh...the things I wish would happen. :) Please review? And again, as I said above, if you aren't seeing the line breaks, let me know. If the majority of you are not seeing them I'll change some things.


	5. Chance Encounter

**Summary:** The handful of meetings between Uchiha Itachi and Uzumaki Naruto were always intense. Who'd have thought there was an underlying reason for it? Yaoi, ItaNaru

**Warnings:** If you didn't see it already from the summary, this is yaoi, with lemony content. Also, spoilers for future manga chapters are included in this story.

_'Italics'_ = Thoughts

**a/n:** Happy belated birthday Itachi! Ok, fine I'm a day late...but the thought was there. :) And for the record to all those who wondered about Naruto showing Sasuke the blades, the seal is tiny on the hilt of the sword. I wasn't planning on Naruto doing more than waving it at him like "see I've got my own shiny new toy nyah nyah". XD So Sasuke won't see the seal.

The story is mostly be told as flashbacks. Narration and dialogue in Naruto's POV is before the line break. Flashback are after the line break. Present Day = _Italics _/ Flashback = Normal font

* * *

**TIME WILL TELL  
**

**Ch 5 - Chance Encounter  
**

* * *

_Time heals what reason cannot. - Anonymous_

_xxx_

_For some reason, I've been thinking a lot about Ero-sennin lately. Maybe it's just because on this sort of occasion one thinks back on all the people who helped along the way. Despite his...um...proclivities...he is one of the people who I considered precious. He became much like a grandfather. He was willing to teach me my father's technique even if he didn't think I was ready and he gave me the opportunity to travel the world with him. I've never mentioned much about the trip beyond the training, but I always appreciated the chance to see the world. I doubt I would have ever seen any place beyond where I went for missions if not for him._

_I miss the old pervert. And I wish he was here to see this. It only would've been right._

_He'd probably be right here drinking with baa-chan right now, toasting drink after drink to their new hokage._

_In the midst of all that he would probably say something idiotic and perverted that would get him in trouble with baa-chan and she'd knock him out. But he would go down with a smile._

_I looked down at the crowd that just seemed to get larger. It wouldn't be much longer now before the coronation began. We were just waiting for the Suna delegation to show up. Last I heard, they were only a couple of hours out of Konoha and that was two hours ago, so I figured it would be any time now. I had already seen the delegations from Snow, Wave, Tea, and Lightning. Who knows who else had made the trip to Konoha. Ero-sennin and I had traveled all over the place under the name of research._

_Heh, I always used to think he was gathering information for his books. I didn't realize until after he was gone that much of his "research" had nothing to do with the many women he peeked at and used for his novels. It was partially a front for his true purpose - gathering information from his spy network. I later found out that his perverted books were full of codes that revealed information on Konoha's enemies. You just had to know what to look for._

_And more information came from his spy in Akatsuki than anyone else. We just didn't know it._

_Although, I guess now if I think back on it, he never said a word against him. Usually when the name Uchiha Itachi was mentioned, it was with scorn and hatred. Ero-sennin just stayed silent about the man. Only once did he say anything to me about him. I can't even remember why he brought it up, but he said something cryptic that I didn't put much thought into at the time. He said Itachi did what he had to do. I think I completely brushed him off. Sasuke hated him, so I would hate him too._

_Time is a funny thing...hate eventually turned into something very different._

_With a sigh, I pressed my forehead against the glass. Before he left the resort, Itachi said our paths would cross again one day. It's funny how it ended up being when I least expected it._

_And of all the times...Sasuke was with me._

* * *

It was supposed to be an easy mission. Cut and dry. Get in, nab the scroll, get out. See? A simple task, especially for the famed ANBU Squad Two, which included the genius Uchiha Sasuke and the most unpredictable ninja Uzumaki Naruto.

So why were they standing in a defensive position surrounded by more Iwa ninja than they could begin to count?

"Well, well...who knew Konoha would be so gullible?" A tall man walked forward to stand apart from the rest and smirked at the four Konoha nins. "What a coup for me! They were even generous enough to send me exactly who I wanted."

Naruto growled as his eyes met Sasuke's through his mask. What was he talking about?

The same man smugly walked around the foursome, his hand on his weapon. "Now, I'll make this simple. You have something I need. If you give it to me, I will let you leave."

All four ANBU tensed. Nothing was ever that simple. The cat ANBU, the only female on their squad, glared at the man. "Like hell we're giving the scroll to you."

A low chuckle began and slowly morphed into full blown laughter. "Scroll? You think I care about that stupid scroll? That was just a ruse to get you here."

The squad gasped. It was a trap.

"What I want," The man stopped in front of Naruto, "is the weasel." Naruto's eyes went wide behind his mask. What the hell did they want him for? Sasuke's sharingan flared to life as his protective side kicked in.

"No." Sasuke replied, reaching back and grasping the hilt of his kusanagi.

"And how do you expect to stop me? Four against over 100 aren't good odds."

"Obviously you don't know who you're messing with." Naruto growled.

"Oh, but you're wrong. I know exactly who you are." The slow walk began anew. He pulled his sword and pointed it at squad two's ANBU captain. "Tenzou, former experiment of Orochimaru, captain of ANBU Squad Two, only Mokuton user since the first hokage." The Iwa nin walked on stopping again in front of the cat anbu. "Akimori Katsumi, also known as Kat, taijutsu and genjutsu specialist." Next he stopped in front of Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke, last of the Uchiha clan, former traitor of Konoha, former apprentice to the snake sannin Orochimaru, former member of Akatsuki, sharingan user, specializes in fire and lightning techniques." He moved on to the last member of the squad and pointed the tip of the sword at the person's throat. Then with a few flicks of his wrist, the black cloth that hid the hair from view was sliced apart, revealing spiky blond locks. "And finally, Uzumaki Naruto. Or should I say Namikaze Naruto, son of Namikaze Minato, the famed yellow flash, Yondaime Hokage of Konoha and the man who single handedly decimated the Iwagakure ninja ranks. Kyuubi jinchuuriki, toad sage, wind and water user."

The squad didn't even try to hide their shock. "How could you possibly know this much about our identities?" Tenzou asked.

The man shrugged. "I have my ways. But, I've wasted enough time. The rest of you may leave and return to your pathetic village. However, the blond stays. Consider it retribution for what that damned Namikaze did to our village."

"No way in hell am I staying. You'll have to kill us first!" Naruto yelled. The man gave them a bloodthirsty smirk.

"That can be arranged." With a wave of his hand, the army of ninja had their weapons ready. "Either way, I win as long as you die Uzumaki. With your death I will bring honor to the village of Iwagakure."

Silence fell over the area. Naruto glanced at his teammates. All of them wondered why no one was attacking. And then he felt it...only he as a jinchuuriki could feel the almost undetectable current. '_Below!'_

"Move! Their coming from below!" he yelled in warning.

The squad jumped into the air and flipped away at the same moment hands shot out of the ground. Having lost the element of surprise, the ninja jumped out from the ground.

Naruto glanced around to find the rest of his team. The last thing they wanted had happened...the squad was separated. They couldn't help each other. Naruto cursed and tensed up as the circle of ninja converged on him. He grabbed his blades and sliced at those unfortunate enough to get close. At the same time he kicked some of the others out of the way.

...No one - not the ANBU squad, nor the army of Iwa ninja - felt the powerful chakra coming towards them.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled. "A little help here?"

"Uh...I'm a little...busy right now." He yelled as he bashed another Iwa nin's nose in with his elbow then threw a roundhouse kick at the head of another. "Besides, you're an Uchiha. What do you need help for?"

"Dobe..." Sasuke growled.

"Alright, alright...fine." Naruto flipped away and quickly gathered his chakra as he went into his favorite hand sign. "**Kage bunshin no jutsu!**" Hundreds of weasel masked ANBU appeared.

The leader laughed as the smoke cleared. "You think that will stop me? **Doryuu Taiga!**" The ground around them turned to mud. "**Doryuudan!**" The mud formed into a dragon and started spewing out mud balls that the clones were unable to dodge quickly enough. Within seconds only the ANBU squad was left, once again.

"Crap...now what?" Naruto muttered. He looked over at his teammates who were looking a bit worse for wear, but still standing. But he could see Kat was slowing down. Unfortunately he had no time to dwell on it or help her as a fist headed toward his face. He squeaked and ducked then he twisted around before jumping out of the way only to run into the same man and this time was unable to avoid the chakra enhanced fist. He flew backwards through the air until he hit the wall with so much force he could feel the stone crack and crumble behind him. He fell to the ground with a groan, his whole body aching with pain.

"Ready to give up yet? It would save your friends."

"Hell no!" Naruto growled and got up, ignoring the pain he was in. He saw lightning from the corner of his eye and heard the ear splitting sounds of chidori. He hoped Sasuke was having better success than him. The man gave an evil smirk and held his sword out in front of him. Naruto quickly brandished his twin blades again.

"You are no match for me Uzumaki. You should give up now."

"Shut up and fight dammit!" Naruto yelled and took a stance. The Iwa nin swung his heavy sword and Naruto avoided the swipe, though he felt the slice through the air. Each swing of the larger sword had him backing away defensively. Naruto knew he was over matched. Though he had been practicing with the weapons since he received them, he was not at the level of this man. Sasuke would probably fare better.

Unfortunately, Sasuke was otherwise occupied so he was on his own.

He attempted to block the sword strikes with his kodachi but almost dropped them at the bone jarring power behind the nin's swings. The blade swung back towards him and he tried to back away. He wasn't quick enough and received a slash across his chest for his troubles. Then a kick knocked him back against the stone wall.

He had nowhere to go. _'Shit!'_

The earth shifted beneath him and he looked down to discover his feet were encased in rock. He couldn't move.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke yelled. From over the Iwa nin's shoulder, Naruto saw his best friend trying to shake off his opponents so he could help him. There was no way he would make it in time.

"Your resistance is futile. You cannot defeat me. If you surrender now, maybe I'll let your friends live." The blade was near his heart this time, the tip drawing blood. Naruto gulped but stood firm and refused to back down in fear. He raised his head and gave the man a rebellious glare.

"Go to hell!" he growled. With a smirk the man raised the sword and swung it down in a deadly arc.

"You first."

Naruto saw Sasuke closing in, but it wasn't quick enough. He closed his eyes preparing to feel the pain.

-CLANG!-

For a moment, there was complete silence. Everyone stopped. Naruto shivered slightly.

He wasn't dead?

He wasn't dead!

Finally summoning up the courage, he opened one eye, then the other... He was shocked at what he saw.

Long black hair, secured with a hair tie, spilled from a black cloak.

"Itachi..." Naruto whispered. The oldest living Uchiha didn't acknowledge his name. His eyes were on the swordsman, his katana blocking the sword from touching Naruto. The blond decided the smart thing would be to move out of the way of the two deadly ninja. Forming a low powered rasengan, he shattered the rock surrounding his feet and ran to the opposite side of the two men, only to gasp at the sharingan which spun rapidly. He didn't know how he could tell, but Itachi was pissed. Another gasp from behind made him turn away from the stunning sight only to meet with another set of sharingan eyes that slowly bled back to black. Sasuke's eyes were wide and haunted and his kusanagi was lowered and held limply in his hand as it shook.

"A-Aniki..."

Naruto, even in this dangerous situation, had two very divergent thoughts going through his head: Itachi was hot. And Sasuke was going to kill him.

* * *

Itachi glared at the enemy, his blood red eyes spinning rapidly. "You will not touch him." he threatened dangerously.

"I-Impossible! You're dead!" The swordsman stated, his own eyes wide at seeing another pair of sharingan eyes. Everyone in all the ninja nations heard the news that Uchiha Itachi had been killed by his brother. And yet, he was standing right here in front of him.

"Hn." Itachi sent a forward kick at the man, flinging him backwards so he hit the ground painfully. That seemed to jolt everyone else to their senses and chaos ensued. "Naruto, get your team out of here." he yelled, then ducked to avoid the swinging blade.

"But what about you?" Naruto yelled back.

"I'll be right behind you." Itachi replied as he blocked the blade with his own, the sound ringing through the area. Naruto looked over at his team. Tenzou was exhausted, Kat was almost completely out of chakra and injured, and Sasuke seemed to be in shock. He growled. He didn't have much choice.

"You better be! Or I'll find you and kick your ass!" He grabbed Sasuke and pulled him along. The raven didn't even resist, which showed how out of it he was. He passed him off to Tenzou and lifted Kat into his arms as gently as he could, mindful of her injuries. Tenzou flashed through hand signs.

"**Moku shouheki no jutsu!**" One by one, wood beams slammed together to form a barrier between themselves and the other nins. Using the distraction, they ran from the area until they were far enough away to feel safe, but close enough to see what happened. Naruto placed Kat gently on the ground and Tenzou started checking her injuries. Sasuke stared straight ahead at the area they'd just left behind.

"Sasuke?" The raven ANBU didn't move. "Hey...Sasuke..." Naruto took the pale chin in his hand and turned the head toward him. Sasuke's eyes were haunted like he had seen a ghost. Naruto guessed in a way, he had.

"I-It was genjutsu...right?" Sasuke asked, sounding almost like a lost little boy. Naruto's heart plummeted. He wished he could lie. He wanted nothing better than to tell him yes.

"No...I'm sorry. It's not."

"...Itachi..."

Naruto took his friend, his brother, in his arms and hugged him tight. Any other day, Sasuke would have shrugged the blond off. Today, he needed it. Both of them watched as the black flames of Amaterasu overtook the area. Naruto shuddered. He hadn't seen that technique since he was 12. And considering the anger he saw in those spinning orbs, he knew the Iwa nins had no chance of surviving.

* * *

The four of them sat in a house in a clearing. Tenzou had taken a soldier pill and proceeded to use his four pillar home technique. Now all of them just sat and waited. Sasuke had calmed down and was now brooding in a corner. Fortunately, Kat's injuries weren't serious so she took a soldier pill and she sat against the wall letting Tenzou bind her injuries. Naruto's injuries were already healed, thanks to Kyuubi and he stood by the window watching for any sign of the older Uchiha.

Sasuke watched him...he could feel the eyes on him. He sighed in resignation, knowing what was coming, and glanced back at his best friend. "What?"

"You knew?" While Sasuke formed the two words as a question, Naruto knew it was a statement that only needed confirmation. He gulped and stared at Sasuke before turning away and looking outside.

"Yes." He replied, just above a whisper. He knew the fist was coming and didn't dodge. He probably deserved that punch.

"How could you Naruto?"

"Sasuke, I-" Naruto tried to interrupt while rubbing his sore jaw. Sasuke wouldn't let him. He grabbed him by his collar.

"I thought...You said we were brothers. If that's true, then how could you not tell me about him?"

"Because I made him promise not to." Both men turned their heads to see Itachi standing in the doorway.

Sasuke released the blond's collar and turned to his brother. "Why?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"I couldn't risk it. The blame lies with me, not him."

Sasuke stared at his older brother, his eyes projecting his emotional turmoil.

The rest of the group felt like outsiders and they glanced back and forth between the two brothers. Naruto was the one who finally broke the silence.

"Okaaay...it looks like you two need to clear the air." He stretched and walked towards the door. "I think I'm going to patrol and set up some traps, just in case." Both brothers looked at him.

"Stay dobe. You're practically family." Naruto held up his hand.

"Oh no...I wouldn't dare. Besides I've heard his side of things already. And he already knows how I felt about keeping it from you. This is something you both need to deal with alone. Ja." Naruto gave them both a halfhearted smile and wave as he walked out. He left the door wide open though, knowing Itachi wouldn't talk in the house. He watched Itachi pull Sasuke out of the door and close it behind him. Naruto took one last glance at the Uchiha brothers and then jumped away into the darkness.

Naruto slowly ambled his way through the perimeter of their ready made camp looking out for any enemies. He doubted that after Itachi's powerful display he would actually find any stragglers lurking around, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Meanwhile, he thought of the two men he left behind. Both of them had always haunted his thoughts over the years for one reason or another. He truly hoped the two brothers would reconcile. It was about time Sasuke had his brother back. As much as he played the role of the teme's younger brother (only by a measly three months), he paled in comparison to the real thing.

Itachi was wrong. He was never truly dead in Sasuke's eyes. But the memories of killing him and then finding out the truth left him hanging on to his sanity by a thread. Naruto had helped, but only Itachi could put Sasuke's heart and mind back together completely. Although Sasuke knew the truth, there was a difference between knowing and understanding why Itachi did the things he did.

As it was, Itachi was an enigma. Naruto never could figure him out really. Hopefully, Sasuke would have an easier time of it. Those dark eyes kept everything hidden...every thought, every emotion.

Though, he had to admit, Itachi had shown a different side of himself when they were at the resort.

Naruto almost lost his footing on a branch. He blushed as he remembered the way in which they parted. A gift...a kiss.

That kiss...

It wasn't even much of one. Just a brief touch of lips. He and the teme's accidental kiss had lasted longer. But even now, many months later, he could still recall the way his lips tingled from the touch, he could remember how soft Itachi's lips were, he remembered thinking he wanted more...

What the hell was he thinking?

Jumping off the branch and beginning his patrol again, he shifted his thoughts to his two newest weapons, given to him by Itachi. The kodachi were beautifully crafted and they were just the right size for him. And in his mind's eye, he could imagine a thirteen year old Itachi wielding them with a skill only someone of Uchiha blood could possess.

In many ways, Naruto envied him and the teme. Both held themselves with such grace. Each move they made was effortless, done with purpose. No moves were wasted. They were naturals with weapons. He remembered when he spied on Sasuke at the academy when he was practicing with shuriken. He watched the young Uchiha hit the targets over and over again without ever missing, most of the time without looking. He made it look so easy. Naruto tried so hard to imitate his rival. No matter how much he practiced, he could never hit every single target like that. Now the bastard had that kusunagi of his. The sword was like an extension of Sasuke's body...it moved effortlessly and with skillful precision.

Itachi was the same. He moved with such fluid grace, even more so than Sasuke. Hell, there were geisha who didn't move that gracefully. Considering he had to follow the pervert around every brothel in every village they passed, he should know.

Naruto couldn't begin to imagine he would ever compare to that. Even with the training he'd received so far from Sasuke and a couple of his ANBU buddies, he basically slashed or blocked. Nothing that indicated he was a swordsman. His moves mostly screamed 'Amateur!'

He passed the place where he started and saw the two still talking. Good. At least Sasuke hadn't seen fit to use chidori on Itachi yet. That had to be a good sign, right? He decided to sit in a tree far enough away for the men to have their privacy. He wouldn't be able to hear what they were saying, but he was close enough to go break them up if things got ugly. With a sigh, he made himself comfortable on a branch and watched the brothers.

It was interesting to see the subtle differences between them. Itachi, of course, had the longer hair. Besides that, his hair truly was black, whereas Sasuke's had a sort of bluish tint. It couldn't be seen in the dark, but he knew. Sasuke had the darker eyes though...so dark, they were almost black. Itachi's were a dark grey that almost looked fathomless. Itachi still had the advantage in height, though not as much as it used to be. He stood at 5'10. Sasuke caught up a bit and now stood at 5'8. The younger would probably surpass the older in height soon. Both of them had that pale luminescent skin.

The blush was back full force as he remembered a very unashamed and naked Itachi slowly lifting himself out of the hot springs that night. Every single inch of that beautiful lithe body was permanently etched in his mind.

He'd seen Sasuke naked many times. They'd been on the same team together as genin and after his return. The thing is though, he never felt an attraction to his best friend. However, he couldn't deny that he was attracted to Itachi. He always had been, even back when he was twelve. It was the eyes that started it all...he knew that. They hypnotized him, sucked him into their depths. He shivered in excitement every time he saw the mangekyou sharingan in Itachi's eyes. Sure, he'd seen the same in Sasuke's eyes, but they'd never given him the same thrill. Why? He wasn't sure. Even now, he didn't understand the obsession. He still felt a bit of shame in knowing he would willingly allow Itachi to use the technique on him just to see what that kaleidoscope world would be like.

Why did he feel like this? He had to be sick in the head.

He glanced back and saw Sasuke alone. They must've finished saying whatever needed to be said. He frowned. Where did Itachi go?

"Looking for me?"

Naruto jumped and almost fell off the branch. He righted himself and looked to his left with a glare. Itachi sat against the tree next to him. Actually, he more like molded himself to the tree and the branch. It looked like he belonged there.

"Damn you! Don't scare me like that."

"Aren't you supposed to be patrolling? You should be more alert Naruto-kun."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever. So did you get things resolved between you two?"

"Yes. And I must admit, you were correct. Sasuke needed to see me."

"Ha! I knew it. I'm glad you and he are ok now." Itachi nodded then looked pointedly at the mask hanging from Naruto's belt.

"I see you finally made ANBU."

"Yep, I can thank Kakashi-sensei for that. And yes, I know you said things would get better. You were right."

"Hn." Itachi smirked then. "Nice mask. Any reason you chose that one?"

Naruto blushed. No one ever asked why he had chosen a weasel mask. Sasuke didn't even ask...he just gave him this weird look. But the truth was, he didn't want to choose something as typical for him as a fox and he wasn't sure why, but the weasel just felt right. And every time he wore it, he thought of Itachi.

Hell would freeze over before he'd reveal that little tidbit to Itachi though.

"Quit trying to read something into the fact that I have a mask that happens to equate to your name!"

Itachi chuckled then looked at the scabbard at Naruto's side.

"So, you've been training. I can tell." Naruto snorted, a slight pout making itself known.

"Yeah...obviously not enough. You still had to swoop in and save me. How did you know we were there anyway?"

Itachi shrugged. "I heard some things from my informants. And the man was a master swordsman. You're still learning."

"I know...I just..." Naruto growled in frustration. "Dammit, why are you Uchiha so good at everything? I swear, I can't compete with you two."

"Who said it was a competition?"

"You know what I mean. It's just, I feel like a clumsy idiot when I use them, even after all the practice. With you and the teme, it just seems like the blades are a part of you. For me, it's just awkward."

"It takes time."

"So everyone keeps telling me." Naruto groused.

"You should listen."

"Yeah yeah yeah."

Itachi stood and took a chakra powered step so he was on the branch with Naruto. With infinite balance, he sat on the smaller part of the branch. Naruto rolled his eyes again.

"Show off."

"Hn." Naruto couldn't help it. He laughed. It was such a typical Uchiha reply.

"Why are you here?" he asked after he calmed down. Itachi didn't answer at first. He just gazed into sapphire eyes darkened by the night. Naruto stared back entranced as Itachi's eyes slowly bled from it's normal deep gray to blood red. The sharingan lazily spun and caught Naruto in it's hypnotic motion. Itachi smirked knowingly and Naruto caught it. But he didn't have the heart to stop looking at his eyes.

Did Itachi know his secret...about his obsession?

The smirk slowly changed to a grin and Itachi leaned forward until there was only the most minimal space between them. "Maybe one day...I'll show you." he murmured.

Naruto's eyes went wide. How could he know? Or was he talking about his question?

"You're an open book Naruto-kun. And your eyes are windows to your soul."

Naruto gulped. His heart pounded at noting the tiny space between them. If only he shifted just a half an inch forward...

"But you aren't ready yet."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. Ready? What the hell did the bastard mean he wasn't ready? Ready for what? But before he could ask aloud, Itachi flipped backwards off the branch and landed soundlessly on the grass beneath them.

"Wait."

"I apologize Naruto-kun, but I must take my leave. I have a mission awaiting me in Marsh Country."

"Will you ever come home?"

"You never give up do you?"

"You should know. I followed Sasuke for years."

Itachi chuckled. "So you did." Naruto jumped down and stood in front of him. "I also remember us making a deal. I would come back when you fulfilled your part of the bargain. Did you forget?"

Naruto pouted. "No... But Itachi, why..." Itachi waited and when it seemed Naruto wasn't going to continue, he raised a brow. It caused Naruto to blush and look away. "Why, did you kiss me?" he muttered.

"Because I wanted to." With a smile, he said his last words. "Maybe one day you'll get your wish."

And then he was gone.

* * *

Naruto plopped down lazily on the porch next to his friend.

"Forgive me?"

Sasuke glanced at him and then rolled his eyes. "Dobe. There's nothing to forgive."

Both of them glanced out into the darkness, knowing Itachi was in it.

"So...he's gone again."

"Hn."

Naruto leaned back on his elbows and sighed softly. "We have a deal."

"A deal?"

"He said he'd come home when I became hokage." Sasuke took a moment to really _look _at Naruto. He wondered...

"What happened between you two at the hot springs?" Naruto suddenly looked like a trapped animal.

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all. We just happened to see each other there."

"Yet you know his entire life story. Obviously you must've spent some time together. Tell me Naruto, why do you care so much about him?"

"I don't!" Naruto said while looking away so Sasuke wouldn't see his eyes.

"Riiiight...so says the man with the weasel mask."

"Shut up."

"Well at least now I know it wasn't just a coincidence."

"Teme..._shut up_." Sasuke chuckled like he knew something Naruto didn't. He didn't like it. "What?"

"Nothing...there's just something..."

"What dammit?"

Sasuke shook his head. The idiot was so dense sometimes. Maybe he should just be direct.

"How do you feel about Itachi really?"

"EHHHHH?" Naruto's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Oh come on...it's not that difficult a question. Do you like him? Do you love him? What? Because you obviously don't hate him."

"I-I-I..." Naruto blushed like a tomato. He covered his embarrassment with anger. "What the hell kind of question is that teme?"

"A legitimate one. Now quit trying to avoid the question. Yes or no?"

"I..." Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know." Sasuke smirked.

"So it wouldn't bother you if Itachi never came home."

"Of course it would! He should be in Konoha. With you."

"And with you?"

"Yes!" Naruto immediately slapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide as he realized what he had just said. He quickly tried to amend it. "I mean...Uh...you...and me..."

Sasuke grinned at Naruto's lame attempt. "Don't worry dobe, I won't tell him how much you like him."

Naruto groaned. He wasn't sure if he wanted to kill Sasuke or kill himself.

Damn Uchihas.

xx

xx

**Doryuu Taiga** - Earth Flow River

**Doryuudan** - Earth Dragon Projectile

**Moku shouheki no jutsu** - Wood Barrier Technique

**a/n:** First off, don't kill me for teasing you in that last scene with Naruto and Itachi. I promise, I'll make up for it next chapter. Really. Also, thank you SO much for your reviews. You make my job much easier. I'm glad you're enjoying this complete debasing of the Naruto manga. XD Next chapter will be up in a week!


	6. Birthday Fireworks

**Summary:** The handful of meetings between Uchiha Itachi and Uzumaki Naruto were always intense. Who'd have thought there was an underlying reason for it? Yaoi, ItaNaru

**Warnings:** If you didn't see it already from the summary, this is yaoi, with lemony content. Also, spoilers for future manga chapters are included in this story. **There will be lemons in this chapter.** There, can't say I didn't warn ya.

_'Italics'_ = Thoughts

The story will mostly be told as flashbacks. Each chapter will begin with narration and dialogue in Naruto's POV before the actual flashback in each chapter. I am explaining this now because I doubt any of you want to read italics for an entire chapter, nor do I want to write italics for an entire chapter.

Present Day = _Italics _/ Flashback = Normal font

* * *

**TIME WILL TELL  
**

**Ch 6 - Birthday Fireworks  
**

* * *

_Time goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life. You must never miss the opportunity to tell these people how much they mean to you. – Anonymous_

_xxx_

_I smiled this time as I looked out on the village. It was just about time to begin. I just had to wait for the Rokudaime to reappear. Considering the identity of the soon-to-be-ex-hokage, who knows when that might be._

_Gaara just left the room after giving me his well wishes. Somehow, he never fails to put a smile on my face. I know that sounds kind of weird considering he never smiles or cracks a joke...ever. Maybe it's because I can see how much he's changed over the years. Just now he was giving me pointers on how to ignore the council. Heh, I think I wrote down a few of them. I can't wait to try some of them actually._

_I smirked at the some of the ideas he put into my head._

_"What are you doing dobe?" I grinned at Sasuke's reflection in the glass._

_"Nothing teme. Just thinking."_

_"Yeah, well don't break anything in there."_

_"Shut up bastard."_

_Of course, he would look good in his formal anbu gear. The damn bastard looked good in everything he wore. I swear, it must be an inherent Uchiha trait. Or at least with the two brothers anyway. They never failed to look good no matter what they wore. And no, I'm not jealous...really._

_Well, all that was left now was a couple of words and formalities and he would officially be my right hand man. I debated for quite a while whether I wanted him to be the head of anbu or one of my two personal guards. After weeks of internal debate, I decided that he would split time with who I named as my other personal guard, Neji._

_Besides...I think I already know who I want to be head of anbu, at least if he wants it. He just needs to be here._

_I watched Sasuke through the glass as he watched me and soon enough he was walking forward until he was standing beside me. We both looked outside at the large crowd. His shoulder brushed against mine just slightly. I knew better than to call him on it, though. It was his way of keeping me calm...a touch here or there. Nothing major, always brief, but there nonetheless. We'd become so close over time that he could read me like a book. I guess I should've known I wouldn't be unable to mask my nervousness from him. My only consolation was that I could do the same with him if I needed to._

_"He'll be here." Sasuke said, bringing me out of my musings._

_"Huh?"_

_Sasuke turned his onyx eyes on me and raised a brow. What was that look supposed to mean?_

_"What?"_

_"You're looking for him aren't you? Even in a crowd full of people, you're trying to find him."_

_Damn...trust him to know exactly what I'm doing._

_"If he promised he'd be here, he will."_

_Well that just made me feel infinitely better... "Sure, just like he kept all his promises to you when you were young." There...did that show my skepticism without sounding like a complete jerk?_

_He rolled his eyes. "Well, he __did keep his promise...just not how I thought he would. He did train me. Of course, I didn't know that was his point at the time, but all the same, it was training. He taught me to control my anger instead of letting it control me. Every time we fought, I got a bit better until I eventually beat him." He didn't mention the fact that the fight he won was to the death, nor did he mention finding out later about the actual lack of, well, death..._

_I didn't say anything though. I just laid my forehead against the cool glass and stared down into the crowd._

_"He loves you dobe." I gasped and turned around to face him. Of course, I already knew that for he told me himself right before we last parted. But I didn't think Sasuke would actually know._

_"W-What? How would you know that?"_

_Sasuke chuckled. "It's in his eyes. He lets his guard down around you. I doubt he even knows I see it. Even when I was a child, as much as I thought he loved me, I could never see it in his eyes. It's like he wore blinders around the family. I can see his feelings a bit more now, but with you it's different...it's almost like he feels safe enough to completely let go with you."_

_"Oh." What else do you say to something like that?_

_"Whatever..." Sasuke mutters. "The point is, he'll be here. He's probably already here. You just can't see him in that huge sea of humanity." I could almost feel Sasuke shudder. I know for a fact if he had to stand down there, he'd have skipped the inauguration altogether. There's no way he'd be crushed in with that crowd._

_"Naruto-kun. It's time." Shizune stood in the doorway. "Tsunade found Kakashi and dragged him back here by the ear. So we're ready."_

_"Alright." Sasuke smirked and slapped me on the back and pushed me forward._

_"Let's go, Hokage-sama."_

_I grinned. It was a bit premature, but I liked the sound of it. With one last glance back at the glass, I walked away. I could only hope he was out there somewhere._

_He did promise, after all._

* * *

October tenth. A day that would never be forgotten in Konoha history. The day the Kyuubi was sealed by the Fourth Hokage. The day his...father...sacrificed his life and left him alone. It was a shock when he found out the man he'd thought of as his hero, the man he was working so diligently to surpass, was his father. After he had recovered from his long battle with Pein, he locked himself in baa-chan's office and explained what happened in his mind - how he almost gave in and ripped the seal off, that the Yondaime came and stopped him, that he'd finally met his father. He forced her to tell him everything that day. He'd learned about his mother, his father, and why his background was kept secret.

Truthfully, he still wasn't all that sure how he felt about the news. On one hand, he was happy. He did have family that cared...he just happened to lose them before he even got a chance to know them, unfortunately. On the other hand, he was angry that he was forced to deal with his burden alone. Even more angry that despite his father's decree, he became the village's pariah. Of course, it wasn't his fault, but it still pissed him off. But, his father believed in him...thought he'd find a way to bring peace to the ninja world. And he would do his best to figure out how.

Naruto looked around him with a slight smile, although it couldn't be seen through his mask. It was his first time truly enjoying the festival. The few years he'd attempted to go as a child, he had been run out at first sighting, then mobbed and beaten to within an inch of his life. That was when he figured out that he wouldn't be welcomed there and he stopped going. Not that it stopped the mobs any. Every year on that dreaded date, he did his best to hide from those who wanted to make him pay for their pain. The times he was able to get himself through the festival unscathed, his apartment didn't fare so well. One way or another, he was always forced to see evidence of their anger. It was why he started taking missions outside the village whenever his birthday drew close.

Once Kakashi had become hokage, he changed the name and purpose of the festival. It was now a festival to celebrate all of the village's fallen heroes. Naruto knew it had been more for his benefit than anything. However, habits are hard to break, so people still tended to call it the Kyuubi festival. Still, Naruto didn't attend, just in case. He decided that, despite the Rokudaime's efforts to help, the village's most attended festival was probably better off without him.

This time was different though. He was anbu. And Kakashi assigned some of the anbu to patrol the festival and make sure no one got unruly. So, he and Sasuke - who always avoided a festival if he could - were slowly moving through the heart of the village. Sasuke might care less about the festivities, but Naruto was finally getting his chance to enjoy the carnival, booths, and food. And he had the fireworks to look forward to. He continued to thank Kakashi in his mind for the anonymity he'd been afforded by the use of his anbu uniform and mask, as well as the bandanna he had covering his blond hair. No one recognized him and he could enjoy the festival without difficulty.

He and Sasuke, after a turn around the perimeter, took a break and went to his usual spot on the Fourth's head. With a loud exaggerated yawn, Naruto pushed off his mask, laid out on his back and closed his eyes.

"Tired dobe?"

"Uh huh."

Naruto had a long day after all. But he would have to admit it was one of the happiest days of his life. It started with the anbu giving him a birthday party. They had pancakes, some western creation one of them picked up on a mission far away, instead of the traditional cake. Naruto now has that recipe stashed away for the future. A few hours later, he attended another party in his honor, given by his friends. Between both parties, he ended up with a huge pile of gifts...he had to make a few clones to take them home.

"Well, all that's left is the fireworks and making sure everyone leaves in an orderly fashion, and then we can go home."

'Home' was a house of his own. Once Sasuke got settled back into village life, he had the old district razed. Then he went to Kakashi and sold off half of the district. What was the point of having such a huge area of land if there wasn't anyone around to enjoy it? So, Kakashi pulled in some developers and they built some new homes, apartment buildings and businesses. The area that wasn't sold was deemed Uchiha property. Then not only did Sasuke have a house built for himself, he had one built for his best friend as well. The houses were side by side, but with enough space in between so that neither of them had to be bothered with the other if they didn't want to be. There was a huge training area a few yards away from their homes and they took advantage of it whenever they weren't on missions.

He wondered if Itachi would get his own home. If he ever came back, that is.

Sasuke gated the district because it was tradition to do so. And then he put up wards to make sure no one with any intent to harm could get in the district. Sakura had been a victim of that more than once, to their great amusement. Well, the good thing is that it was teaching her to calm down before coming to see either of them about something that angers her.

"Hey dobe, it's starting."

Naruto looked up excitedly as the first flare went into the sky and exploded, sending colorful sparks outward in a stream.

"Beautiful." he breathed.

"Hn."

Fireworks filled the sky, one after another, as the display continued with background music.

"Come on teme, even you have to be at least a bit impressed."

"It's just fireworks dobe."

"Spoilsport. Why don't you just relax and enjoy the childhood wonder in something?"

"Because I'm not a child."

"Neither am I."

"Hn. Could've fooled me."

"Shut up teme!"

* * *

Two hours later, the two exhausted males made their way through the new Uchiha district toward their homes. When they reached the point the paths diverged to each of their homes, Sasuke stopped suddenly. Naruto glanced at him and saw the blank look on his face.

"What?"

Sasuke eyes narrowed slightly, but after another moment he shook it off.

"Nothing. Just tired." He started up his walkway and held up his hand in his typical wave. "Have a _good _night dobe." Unseen was the smirk that made it's way onto his face.

Naruto shrugged off the bastard's weird behavior. "Yeah yeah, night teme."

When he reached his own home, he opened the door and closed it. With a tired sigh, he leaned against the door for a moment while he kicked off his shoes. He didn't bother turning on the lights, he knew his way to every room in the house with his eyes closed anyway. Once in his room, he pulled off his anbu gear piece by piece until he was left in only a black tank and his orange boxers.

A whistle. "Nice show."

Naruto stopped, his eyes wide, his body tense as he fingered a kunai in his hand.

He heard a chuckle. "Don't stop on my account. Feel free to continue."

Wait...he knew that voice...

"Itachi?" Naruto whispered. He spun just in time to see red eyes fade into darkness.

"Hello Naruto-kun."

"What are you doing here?" He watched as the slightly taller male walked into the soft light the moon provided. He'd seen Itachi in passing a couple of times in the countless months since the mess in Iwa. Not long enough to do much more than stop for a drink or something to eat, talk a bit, and then move on with each of their missions. After the last time - an occasion when even he, who was dense as a rock about this sort of thing, could feel the tension between them - he found himself wanting something more. But he didn't have the time, nor the guts, to say anything.

And now he was here in his house...in his room...

"It is your birthday is it not?" Itachi said with a slight smile. Naruto chuckled, taken back to the last time Itachi was with him on his birthday. Once his mirth died down, he looked up to see a small package sailing through the air, courtesy of Itachi. He caught it and examined it.

"Well, I guess this time it's not a weapon."

"Hn."

Naruto ripped the paper apart to reveal a leather necklace somewhat similar to Itachi's. He looked up at Itachi in the muted light.

"I like it...Thank you."

Itachi smiled and moved closer. Their eyes met and he took the necklace out of Naruto's hand and leaned forward to tie it around the slim neck.

"Happy birthday." he murmured.

Naruto tried to ignore the flutters in his stomach with every slight brush of fingers against his skin. Itachi finished what Naruto considered an agonizing task by tying a knot. Itachi's eyes still held cerulean ones captive. And he didn't stop there. His index finger slowly moved down the blond's neck, past his shoulder and down his arm, feeling goosebumps rising from the action. He was completely attuned to the slight hitches of Naruto's breath and the way his arm flinched. Finally, he released the wrist and stepped back.

"N-Now what?" Naruto asked shakily. His heart was still beating a rapid staccato. He wondered if his question even made sense.

"Well...I guess that would depend on you." Itachi crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, shadowed so Naruto couldn't really see more than a silhouette. "I can leave and go next door. I'm sure Sasuke would be so ecstatic to have his brother staying with him for the night."

Naruto couldn't miss the sarcasm.

"_Or_...you can ask me to stay."

Everything else that could be connected to that statement was left unsaid. Itachi knew it. Naruto knew it. He knew what it would mean, what it would lead to, if he asked Itachi to stay.

And he wanted it...wanted _him _so badly.

Naruto gulped and took a step closer, biting on his lip to stave off his nervousness. He knew this moment, his reply, would change everything.

"Stay..." he whispered.

Itachi with deliberately measured steps moved out of the shadows. He reached out his hand and trailed his fingers back down Naruto's arm until their fingers met and intertwined. Without a word of acceptance - it was obvious by the almost choking sexual tension between them what the answer was - he pulled Naruto close and touched slightly trembling lips with his own. The moment their lips met, Naruto closed his eyes and let himself go, kissing him back with a need and urgency he didn't know he possessed. He wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Naruto moaned and Itachi took full advantage slipping his tongue into the blond's mouth. The moment their tongues met, they both shuddered and matching moans were released. Itachi took Naruto's face in his hands and shifted his head just slightly so his mouth slanted over the blond's. Their tongues twisted and swirled and Naruto eagerly sucked on the slippery appendage. Heat and desire slammed into him and he moved even closer, molding his body to Itachi's. It was like they belonged in each other's arms.

Why had they never done this before?

Itachi slipped his fingers under the black shirt and skimmed them lightly up and down Naruto's back feeling him tremble under his feathery touches. Naruto threaded his fingers through long dark hair forcing the tie off, not caring where it fell. The kiss was broken, only long enough for Naruto's shirt to be yanked over his head, before Itachi growled and pulled him back into his arms and plundered that hot mouth again. He was already addicted to the slight taste of ramen that lingered on that swirling tongue.

Naruto was almost embarrassed at the sound of the needy moan that came from deep within him. Itachi released his lips and slowly trailed his own over Naruto's jaw and down his neck, nibbling on skin and listening to the blond's reactions, hearing the breaths turn ragged.

"Are you sure about this Naruto? Uchihas are a possessive lot...I won't let you go...ever. You'll be mine."

He released a moan of his own as Naruto's fingers slipped under his shirt and began it's own exploration of skin. Itachi stepped back and allowed Naruto to pull his shirt off and toss it away to corners unknown. Naruto's blue eyes stared into his confidently.

"Yes, I'm sure." His voice had taken on a much huskier tone.

That was all Itachi needed to hear and he pulled Naruto into another kiss. They kissed like two men starved. Hands glided over their upper bodies while Itachi moved Naruto backwards, slowly maneuvering them towards the bed. He lightly pushed him onto the mattress and crawled after him like a predator on the prowl. Breathing hard, he stared down into the inky blue depths. They drew him in and held him there. He almost felt the need to pinch his skin to reassure himself he wasn't dreaming, that he really was where he'd been dreaming of being.

"Itachi...please touch me." Naruto's almost shy whisper broke through the haze and Itachi smirked.

"Gladly." His fingers slowly danced down the well-toned chest, hardened from years of training and battles, but still mostly unblemished. Only one scar marred the beautiful bronzed body before him. And he kissed that place so close to the heart, already knowing the history behind it. His lips followed the trail his fingers started, stopping to swirl his tongue around a nipple until it hardened from the teasing and sucked it into his mouth making the blond arch his back with a moan. He gave the other nipple the same treatment and a whimper escaped Naruto's lips. Lips and tongue smoothly traversed the dips and curves associated with the taut stomach. Then he stopped to take the time to swirl his tongue around the seal that glowed slightly as Naruto's arousal grew.

Itachi looked up at Naruto's face with a self-satisfied grin. Only one barrier stood between him and his prize and he would not be denied. With a nip on one slim hip Naruto gasped and arched off the bed, exactly what Itachi wanted. Before Naruto knew it, his boxers were gone and he was completely naked before Itachi.

Itachi quickly removed the last of his own clothes, while taking the time to appreciate the art form laid out below him. His eyes shifted to red and spun lazily as he started from the top and slowly moved downwards, memorizing every single inch of his lover's body, only to move back up to stare in Naruto's eyes. Naruto hardly even noticed Itachi was naked. All he saw were those hypnotizing eyes and he shivered, the idea of the Uchiha using the sharingan to examine his naked body just seemed to arouse him even more. Noticing the way Naruto's member proudly stood erect made Itachi chuckle as he finally connected the dots and he gave Naruto a knowing smirk.

"I see now. I didn't before, but now I understand... I believe, Naruto-kun, that you have a fetish for my eyes." Naruto's eyes widened and he groaned in embarrassment, knowing Itachi had finally caught him. He turned his head away, hoping the darkness hid the blush that he could feel burning his face. Itachi caught his chin and turned his head back to look at him with his sharingan still active. "Tell me love...does my sharingan turn you on?"

Naruto couldn't stop his member from twitching. He couldn't possibly lie now. "God yes." he groaned. "You have no idea..."

"Hmm...I think I do." Itachi replied, wrapping his free hand around the hard member and squeezing slightly. Naruto eyes rolled back in his head before they slid shut and he arched his back with a strangled groan. Itachi decided to remember that little tidbit of information for future reference. He did have a few fantasies of his own involving Naruto and 72 uninterrupted hours that would seem like minutes in real life. Oh yes... But that was for another day. For now, he would be content with just making the blond his. He popped the cap on the tube of lube and soaked his fingers with it. Naruto hardly noticed, too caught up in the pleasure wrought by Itachi's other hand that moved up and down his shaft.

Naruto did notice, though, when he felt a finger prod against his opening and involuntarily tensed up. Itachi replaced his pumping hand with his mouth at the same time his finger breached the tight ring of muscles. Naruto gasped as he was suddenly enveloped by wet heat and at the same time jolted by pain. He wasn't sure what reaction to have. But he didn't have much chance to decide as Itachi's mouth slowly sucked and bobbed up and down his shaft. The stimulation almost made him forget the finger that was moving inside him.

Itachi's finger probed, looking for that special spot. When he found the swollen gland, he lightly swirled his fingertip around the spot. Naruto finally began to relax and unconsciously started rocking back against the finger. Itachi added another and started stretching Naruto further switching between scissoring the fingers and rubbing his fingertip against the blond's prostate. Naruto's fingers gripped the sheets at his sides and moaned louder as his member hardened even more. Itachi added one more lubed finger for good measure slowly moving the digits until hips began to rock against them again and he heard Naruto whimpering in pleasure. Only then did he pull the fingers out.

Naruto whimpered again at the sudden loss and his half lidded, lust fogged eyes met Itachi's. The Uchiha smiled and kissed him then took his hand and squeezed what was left of the lube in his hand.

"Touch me Naruto. Make me ready for you."

Naruto smiled and tentatively ran his fingertips from base to tip watching as Itachi tensed up at the light touch. His confidence grew with the moan that even the usually stoic Uchiha could not hold back. His hands wrapped around the hard member and coated it in lube. With slow deliberate strokes, he slowly pumped up and down the shaft, occasionally rubbing his thumb over the leaking tip, eliciting a pleasured groan from the man above him. Itachi pulled the torturous hands away and positioned his tip at Naruto's entrance. He waited, almost holding his breath, for the signal to breach the puckered hole. Naruto's unwavering gaze held him captive and his hand slipped up Itachi's side as he whispered.

"Please Itachi."

Itachi slowly, carefully pushed inside and Naruto squeezed his eyes shut hissing in pain. It hurt like hell, like he was being split in two, but there was no way he wanted it to stop so he forced his body to try to relax. Itachi's body shook with the effort to stay still until Naruto relaxed again. It took every technique he knew to not lose control. Naruto was so tight and so hot, it was almost unbearable.

"Kami...Naruto..." Naruto took a deep breath and felt his body relax. Finally, he opened his eyes and stared up at his lover. He could feel Itachi trembling in an effort to hold himself back. Glossy black hair fell all around their faces and Naruto reached out with one trembling hand and ran his fingers through the silky mane and brushed it behind an ear and allowed his finger to trail over the pale neck. Only one whispered word passed his lips.

"Move."

Itachi did.

And Naruto cried out in pleasure laced with pain. His hands and legs slid around Itachi's strong back and held on, gasping and arching his back as Itachi struck his spot dead on. Itachi moaned as Naruto's tight walls quivered around him but he kept a slow torturous rhythm. Naruto groaned as the heat slowly built and spread through his insides and tingles started at the base of his spine.

"Faster Itachi!"

Itachi gave the blond below him an evil grin that promised torture. "Why? We have all night Naruto." Naruto began to growl, but it changed into a squeal of pleasure as Itachi suddenly slammed inside him hitting his prostate dead on. Itachi continued the same slow pace, but this time with hard pounding thrusts that had Naruto suddenly shaking and screaming for more.

Naruto's toes curled and he arched his back as pleasure spiraled and pooled low in his belly. When he could take no more he threw his head back and screamed, his nails raking down the pale back leaving welts in its wake. Itachi felt the tight passage grow even tighter and he shuddered and moaned finally letting go of his iron-clad control, his thrusts becoming faster as his own orgasm loomed. Naruto writhed below him as he came all over them both and the sight of such an erotic display sent Itachi over the edge and he moaned the name of his lover as he came inside of him.

xxx

Two hours later found the new lovers entangled. Both were slightly dozing, and both were very much sated after a second round of lovemaking. Itachi's fingers unconsciously glided up and down Naruto's bare back.

"Mmm..."

Itachi lazily opened his eyes to the blissfully smiling Naruto.

"Feel good?" he queried softly.

"Mmhmm. Lower." Naruto murmured.

"Hn." Itachi understood and moved his fingers down to Naruto's lower back and rubbed the digits over the tense muscles. "Better?"

"Yeah." Naruto sighed, his body melting at the relaxing touch. "So...when do you have to leave?" he asked, already preparing himself for the disappointment of separating much too soon.

"Tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night?"

Itachi chuckled at the sound of Naruto's disbelief. "Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I don't plan to leave to finish my mission until tomorrow night. I decided to be selfish for once. I didn't want to give up what I hoped would be _this _with you."

Naruto's smile could've rivaled the sun. "So you'll be here when I wake up?"

"Yes love. Now sleep."

* * *

Naruto heard the birds chirping and knew daylight had come. If not for the sharp pain he felt as he shifted, he would've thought the events of last night were a dream. Slowly he came to awareness and felt warmth flood through him courtesy of the extra weight that was settled over his chest that he knew didn't come from a blanket. Opening his sapphire orbs, he was met with the sight of long inky silk strands that did it's best to hide Itachi's pale face. A smile spread over his face. This would definitely go down as the best birthday he'd ever had. He lightly ran his fingers through the silky strands, trying not to wake the sleeping raven. The Uchiha looked so at peace for the moment and he wanted him to get as much rest as possible before he left. Besides, that Itachi didn't wake at the first touch told Naruto how tired he was and more importantly, how much he trusted him.

Well, it looks like his stealth training in anbu would come in handy after all.

Naruto slowly, carefully untangled himself from his lover and quietly left the room to shower. After his shower, he dressed in a t-shirt and gray sweatpants and made his way to the kitchen. He was starving and he was sure Itachi would be too, once he woke up. But somehow he doubted Itachi would tolerate ramen for breakfast. Plus, he figured Sasuke would drop by for breakfast too since he didn't have a mission. Fortunately the two Uchihas could now occupy the same space without the threat of bodily harm.

Although...he wasn't too sure how he would explain Itachi's presence... He had a feeling he would be teased for quite a while by his best friend.

Pulling out a couple of pans he cracked some eggs and whipped up some ingredients for tamagoyaki. In the other pan he started on some rice. Then he pulled out the vegetables Iruka had snuck into his house a couple of days ago and started chopping them up. Lastly, he started some water boiling for tea. He hummed some wordless tune as he worked, so he never even noticed Itachi had slipped into the room until arms wrapped around him and lips kissed his neck causing him to squeak in surprise. Itachi chuckled and looked over the blond's shoulder at the different foods.

"You cook?"

"Hey!" Naruto playfully elbowed Itachi in the side. "I do live alone you know. And a guy's gotta eat." He then reached up and rubbed the back of his head as he mumbled, "Well...and between Sasuke and Iruka, I can hardly ever get away with eating ramen all the time anymore. So I was stuck having to learn to do something besides boil water."

"Ah." Itachi replied, his eyes full of amusement.

With a sense of perfect timing, the back door slid open and Sasuke stepped inside.

"Hey teme! Could you knock?" Naruto glared at his friend and neighbor while trying to will down the blush at being caught in a lover's embrace with Itachi.

"Tch...Do I ever?" Sasuke leaned against the wall and grinned at the sight of his best friend encased in the arms of his brother. "So, I guess you _did _have good night. I'll have you know you two are practically glowing."

Itachi gave his younger brother a self-satisfied smirk, not the least bit embarrassed about his position. Naruto though, lost his fight with the blush and began sputtering. "I...uh...well..." Then he had a sudden though. He narrowed his eyes and pointed at Sasuke. "You knew he was here last night didn't you, you bastard!"

Sasuke just answered with a smirk of his own...so much like his brother's.

* * *

Naruto and Itachi stood right on the edge of the forest. It was dark now and their time was just about up. At the moment, neither of them were willing to acknowledge the fact. Itachi leaned against a tree with his arms wrapped around Naruto, who had his own arms tightly wrapped around Itachi's waist.

Once Sasuke had left, Itachi carried Naruto back to bed and hardly let him out of his sight. They'd talked, made love, slept, talked again, took a break at some point in the afternoon to eat, made love again, bathed - where they made love once more, finally dressed and went into the kitchen to find Sasuke had dropped off some dinner, then spent the rest of the evening outside sitting on the back porch.

Unfortunately, Itachi had to leave.

Naruto sighed as Itachi's fingers slid down his spine. He looked up just in time for their lips to collide. Itachi took his time slowly mapping out his lover's mouth knowing it would be a while before he'd return.

"Be careful Itachi. You've got a promise to keep."

"Hn." He ran his fingers through the blond spikes. "So do you. I have a feeling it won't be too much longer."

"Hell, I'll work even harder. The sooner I become hokage, the sooner you'll be home for good."

"Then I'll be waiting for news."

Naruto kissed Itachi once more, pouring everything he felt into it before letting go and stepping back. "I love you Itachi. Don't you dare die on me."

"I love you too. And because of that, I have a reason to come back. Death won't stop me." With one last smirk he turned away and disappeared into the night.

xx

xx

**Tamagoyaki** - Japanese style omelette

**a/n:** Well how was that? Hope you liked it. (fans self) So sad...there's only one more chapter to go. I'm going to hate to see this story go. If only Kishi would write things this way. Ah well... Anyways, please review. And thank you so much for the ones you continue to send me. Your words and ideas are always appreciated and make me write faster. The last chapter will take a bit longer since it's all in real time...no flashbacks this time.


	7. Eternity

**Disclaimer: ** I do not own Naruto

**Warnings:** If you didn't see it already from the summary, this is yaoi, with lemony content. **There will be lemons in this chapter!** Also, spoilers for future manga chapters are included in this story.

**IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ**  
I know there were some of you who had a hard time being able to distinguish between past and present since you couldn't see the page breaks. So, I just wanted to let you know I went back to the beginning and did some editing. The present day will be in Italics. The past will be in standard font. The edit note is at the beginning of the first chapter. Hopefully that will help. :)

_'Italics'_ = Thoughts

**a/n:** Well, this is it. The final chapter. *sniffles* I'm kind of sad to see it end so quickly. I hope you all will enjoy this final very long chapter. I had a burst of inspiration, so now I'm flipping the script a bit on you all. Trying to do the entire chapter in first person was annoying me, so instead everything is in the present. The last part will be the future.

* * *

**TIME WILL TELL  
**

**Ch 7 - Eternity  
**

* * *

_Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. - Henry Van Dyke_

_xxx_

If Naruto thought he was nervous before, it was nothing compared to the butterflies he felt now.

Naruto followed along as Shizune led them outside in back of the hokage tower. Neji was already outside fully decked out in the ceremonial ANBU garb to match Sasuke, as well as Kakashi's ANBU guards. All the ANBU were already masked. The only people who knew that Sasuke and Neji were the new chosen guards were Tsunade, Kakashi and Shizune. And that's the way it would stay.

Poor Shizune scrambled back and forth to check over everyone one last time - making sure the ANBU guards' cloaks were just right, that Kakashi's ceremonial robes were perfect, and that Tsunade wasn't hiding any sake under her robe. Naruto rolled his eyes. There was more pomp and circumstance going into this thing than he ever thought possible. When she turned her gaze on him, he cringed at the predatory look in her eye.

"Naruto, your hair is a mess!"

"What? It's always like this." He replied while running his fingers through his hair, his face contorted into a confused look.

"Stop that! You'll make it worse!" Before Naruto could protest, she slapped his hands away and attempted to comb through his hair.

"Itai! Wait!" Naruto could swear she was taking out patches of his hair along with the knots. _'Great...at this rate, I'll be bald by the age of 30...'_

After much fuss over what was probably nothing, at least to Naruto, she finally moved back and assessed the blond. "Hmm...I guess it will have to do. Now, get in line."

_'I swear, she's become more pushy than Iruka-sensei.'_ Naruto shook his head and continued to watch her fuss everyone into position. He didn't remember the inauguration ceremony being this big a deal. Then again, he wasn't at the last one. And Tsunade didn't exactly have anormal ceremony.

"Hey teme." Naruto whispered.

"Hn?"

"Was Kakashi-sensei's inauguration this bad?"

"Yes."

"Oh." _'Wonderful...'_

On some unknown signal the music started and the procession began. The Daimyo and his wife led the way, carried by their attendants and flanked by their guards. Next went Kakashi and his guards. Tsunade, as last member of the Senju clan and previous Hokage, went after him. Behind her was Sakura, who was now starting to look as nervous as Naruto.

And then it was Naruto's turn with his guards flanking him. He surreptitiously looked around high and low for the older Uchiha, without success.

"He better not break his promise," Naruto muttered softly enough so no one would hear him, "Otherwise I am going to hunt him down, beat him unconscious, and drag him back to Konoha by his ponytail." He heard a snicker and looked to his right. Sasuke was laughing under his mask. Bastard.

The rest of the long walk was a blur to Naruto, at least until Kakashi reached the platform, then a thunderous roar filled the air and his eyes went wide. He stared ahead and he suddenly prayed he wouldn't trip up the platform that had been erected for the ceremony. If he did, he would never live it down. Once he climbed the platform successfully, he looked out at the crowd. That's when he truly understood how many people were standing out there. It was a rolling sea of humanity that stretched on as far as the eye could see. Naruto gulped.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" Sakura whispered from her position. The blond turned to look at her.

"Dobe...you're looking a bit pale." Sasuke added.

"I'm fine." _'I think I'm going to be sick.'_ Naruto was panicking and the ceremony hadn't even truly started yet.

"I stand here before you proudly today, for I am as proud of the man behind me as I would be if he were my son..." Kakashi began his farewell address. But Naruto stopped listening. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and wondered if his guards could hear it.

"Dobe," Sasuke whispered through his mask, "Quit looking so freaked out. It's not like you forgot your speech of something."

Naruto's eyes got wider. His train of thought stopped. Sasuke's eyes got wide under his mask at his friend's expression.

"Right?"

_'Oh crap...the speech...'_ "Uh...I think...I did forget my speech." _'Oh kami, what the hell am I supposed to do without my speech? Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap.'_ Naruto was now in full panic mode. For the life of him, he couldn't remember anything he practiced. Not one line.

"This is not the time for a prank Naruto."

"I'm not joking!" He squeaked out, his eyes looking a bit wild as he looked to Sasuke for help. "What the hell am I supposed to do without a speech?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Hn, better think up a new one."

Naruto glared at the brunet. He was of no help at all. Another cheer signaling the end of Kakashi's speech derailed his already downward spiraling thoughts. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on his grandmother-figure who was walking to the spot Kakashi had just vacated. Naruto smiled wistfully. His baa-chan had finally acknowledged her age and stopped using the jutsu after the defeat of Akatsuki. The wrinkles showed and each year they became a bit more prominent. That she was stepping down from her last major duty clearly showed she didn't have the stamina she used to. She would be the only one out of her team that would have the chance to retire on her own terms and enjoy the rest of her life. And he would make sure she enjoyed it.

"Thank you Rokudaime-sama. As you all know, I've lived a very long time. I've been through good and bad times. There are things I regret, but there are more things that I am proud of. I was proud to become the first medical ninja and usher in a new era. I am proud of having assisted in the many advancements made in medical jutsu over the years. I was proud to serve as your Godaime Hokage and I have proudly served as head of the hospital. However, it is time I retire completely and enjoy what's left of my life." She turned and looked at Sakura. "Sakura here became my apprentice at the age of twelve. She has followed in my footsteps and with her intelligence she has a chance to do more than even I could. I couldn't be prouder. Now, Haruno Sakura, step forward."

Despite Naruto's shot nerves, he still winked at the pinkette and gave her a grin as she stepped up to her mentor. She rolled her eyes at him and then turned to stare ahead. Naruto almost laughed at the one word she soundlessly sent in his direction. _'Idiot.'_

Tsunade smiled at her former apprentice. "I know that I leave the care of this village in good hands."

No one expected what Tsunade did next, not even Sakura, apparently, since she was gaping.

"I pass not only the title of Head of Konoha Hospital to you. I pass this on to you as well." She took off her green jacket which was just as much a part of her as the color orange was to Naruto and passed it to Sakura, who's mouth kept opening and closing in want of something to say. Finally she shook it off and put on the article. At that moment, she didn't care that the jacket swam on her smaller frame. More cheers rang out from the crowd...Ino's voice trumped them all.

"Please tell me you were joking about your speech." Neji pleaded with Naruto over the cheers.

A still pale Naruto turned his head to look at his other anbu guard and tried to give him one of those "Everything will be just fine" grins, but he failed. "Neji..." Naruto didn't even know why he said his name. He couldn't think of anything else...maybe it was a cry for help now that his part of the festivities was all that was left. His heart rate jumped to a new level.

"What the hell am I supposed to do? Wing it?" Naruto whispered to himself.

"Uzumaki Naruto, step forward." he heard Kakashi's voice.

_'Oh hell...'_ Naruto gulped and made to move but couldn't. His legs refused to cooperate.

"Uh, dobe, I think that's your cue." Sasuke's hand was suddenly on Naruto's back pushing him forward. Naruto stumbled forward, thanks to his best friend - who he would have to make plans to kill later. There were cheers and laughs from those closer to the front who saw the stumble. He was definitely killing the bastard later.

Kakashi chuckled, at the stumble and Naruto glared at him, but he was too nervous for it to have any effect. Student and teacher stood facing each other and silence swept over the crowd that waited for the final words of their Rokudaime.

"I, Hatake Kakashi, retire from my position as Rokudaime Hokage, and by authority of the Daimyo, name Uzumaki Naruto the Nanadaime Hokage."

If there were boos, Naruto couldn't hear them. All he could hear were the roars of approval. Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to think there weren't objectors out there. It was no secret that some of Konoha's residents still hated him. But that group was no longer in the majority. And right now it seems, from the sounds of cheering, that most of those who still hated him didn't bother attending the festivities. He could feel his smile getting wider. It had taken a long time and a lot of hard work, but he was finally acknowledged and accepted by the village.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Normally, I would pass this robe on to you. But I think you'll like this much better."

Naruto was confused. What the hell was he up to? He'd been waiting for that hokage robe for almost his whole life. He wanted to glare and yell for the ex-hokage to hand it over. Instead, he waited and watched as Kakashi was handed a red bundle. When he dropped it open, Naruto's mouth dropped open with it. A familiar robe was held in front of him, dark red with black flames licking the bottom. "How did you..." he tried to ask. That robe died a swift death during the battle with Pein and he had never bothered with another one even though he had liked it.

"Tsunade remembered what it looked like, so she had one made just for this. Funny...it kind of reminds me of your father's."

Kakashi turned it around and Naruto noticed the kanji stating his title on the back. His mouth opened and closed. For once, he was speechless. Kakashi smirked and held the garment out to him. Naruto wordlessly placed his arms in the sleeves and let him pull it over his shoulders. He couldn't stop the flood of emotion. With tears in his eyes, he turned and latched onto his old sensei in a hug. He would explain it as temporary insanity later. Kakashi stiffened momentarily but relaxed and ruffled the blond hair, much to Shizune's consternation, and whispered in his ear...his voice filled with more emotion than normal. "Your father would be proud of you."

A hat was plopped on his head, a bit askew, but it didn't matter. He watched Kakashi back away and now the stage was all Naruto's. He straightened the infamous hat so it sat on his head correctly. It was at that moment, the words he had planned to say all came back to him. But now he wasn't so sure he wanted to do the speech. He'd never bothered with planned speeches before...why start now?

It looked like he would be winging it after all.

"Thank you Rokudaime-sama." Naruto began with a smile as he looked at the crowd in front of him. He saw his friends together, all smiling happily, Kiba whistling loudly and Lee yelling something about youth before Tenten smacked him upside the head. He resisted the urge to wave at them, but did give them a grin. Right in the front row sat Gaara, who gave him a nod in acknowledgment. The nervousness he felt as he stepped up to the microphone faded away to nothing. And the words flowed without thought, straight from the heart.

"Someone once told me 'When a person has something precious to protect, that's when they can truly become strong.' He's been gone a long time but I've never forgotten those words. I made it part of my nindo. And even though many of you hated me for what I carried, I knew if I wanted to be a great ninja, and possibly a great leader, I had to want to protect you. All of you...whether you hated me or not.

"The Sandaime was the first person to acknowledge me. And he showed me what it meant to have the will of fire. Iruka-sensei was the first teacher I had who treated me as a human being. Between them, they gave me a goal that kept me going, even when things were rough, when people thought I was a terrible ninja, when the Sandaime died, when I lost a friend, when I lost a godfather. And even when I finally felt like giving it all up, someone else I met made me promise not to.

"While I was never one who spent much time feeling sorry for myself, I used to wonder why the Yondaime had chosen me out of everyone. I used to think it was just fate that I was born on that day or that it was because I was a random orphan. Of course, eventually I found out about my parents. Still, I didn't get it. It was a long time before I finally began to understand. I was his son, and although it was part of the reason, that wasn't the main reason. You see, my father believed in me...believed I was strong enough to carry such a power and not be tainted by it...believed that I would be strong enough to deal with adversity, for even he had to know that I would never be considered a hero after such a disaster. And he left me behind believing I would willingly protect Konoha, as he did, and eventually find a way to bring peace. I hope to prove him right.

"As you know, I grew up without a family, without a mother to dote on me or a father to be proud of me and share jutsus with. For the longest time, I thought I was alone. But I grew to have friends," Naruto grinned and winked at the small group of ninja he had grown up with, "and I made my own family." He smiled at those standing behind him. "Konoha is my home. All of you...the entire village...are precious to me. And because you are my precious people, I will protect all of you with my life. That is my promise to you."

The entire square erupted into rousing cheers. The sounds were heard all around Konoha.

Naruto grinned and spread his arms wide.

"Now, let's get this party started!"

* * *

Naruto didn't bother to stifle his yawn as he climbed the stairs of the hokage tower. He really didn't have to come back tonight, but he just wanted to see it once more, to sit in _his _chair in front of _his _desk and look out at _his _village. _'I'm the hokage. I did it. I really did it. I got my dream.'_

His face was hurting from all the smiling he did all day, but still he couldn't stop grinning.

He spent four hours smiling and shaking hands with dignitaries, talking politics with the other kages, entertaining the various daimyos, meeting influential people, taking pictures...lots and lots of pictures.

Of course, Naruto wasn't the typical hokage. He was not about to change into some stuck up prick and forget who he was. So once he had his fill of polite conversation, he found a way to disappear and walked around his home village. People who were happy about his appointment stopped him to exchange pleasantries and congratulate him. Children ran up to talk to him and show him what they learned at the academy. Sure, he could still hear the grumbles...comes with his enhanced hearing...but their closed-mindedness no longer mattered to him.

He spent a good hour walking around before he was found and scolded by his wolf anbu guard and dragged back to the boring affair.

He didn't get to see any of his friends - sans his guards - until much later in the day. Once the official activities ended, the real party began. The group found themselves at Ichiraku Ramen for their own party. Sasuke and Neji, unmasked by then, still sat at Naruto's sides playing unofficial guardians. Just because they weren't in uniform didn't mean they still weren't responsible for guarding the new hokage. The girls were gushing over Sakura's new jacket, that she still hadn't taken off yet, and how awesome it was that Tsunade had passed it on to her. The guys, all in good nature of course, poked fun at Naruto's pre-ceremony jitters and his little stumble on the stage. And the ramen kept being served...best of all, it was free...what could beat that?

It was eight o'clock at night when he had decided enough was enough. After many shaken hands, hugs and kisses goodbye, and a fist in his shoulder along with a 'Dobe.' from the teme, he left them all behind.

Only one thing could possibly make this day even better...

He stepped into the office and closed the door behind him, tossing the traditional hokage hat on the couch. He flicked on the lights and gasped.

His day had just gotten better.

He leaned against the door and crossed his arms over his chest. "Uh...excuse me, you're in my chair."

"Hn. So it seems."

Naruto clutched his shirt right where his heart was pounding. The smile on his face couldn't possibly get any wider. He forgot all about how much his face hurt.

"And get your feet off the desk. Don't you have any respect for the hokage?"

The feet disappeared and Naruto watched the owner of the voice stand and slowly walk around the desk until he was standing right in front of the blonde.

"As a matter of fact I do. Especially this one." And then Naruto was in the man's arms and his lips crushed against the blond's. Their eyes closed as they moaned almost simultaneously from the intense feelings that flowed through them just from one kiss. The crushing intensity only lasted a moment as the kiss turned slow and heated. Their lips parted and tongues met and slowly swirled in a dance and Naruto's hands slid up the strong back and tangled into black locks. He broke away finally with a moan of his name.

"Itachi..."

There was a moan and then the slightly taller body slumped into him.

"Itachi?"

Naruto shifted, still holding onto the dead weight and maneuvered him onto the couch. That was when he saw the blood. Little drops trailed sporadically from the desk to the spot where they were kissing. Naruto's eyes went wide.

"ITACHI!"

* * *

Naruto appeared in the emergency room with Itachi in his arms. He ran to the first medic he saw.

"Where's Sakura?"

"Hokage-sama!" The young woman bowed with a smile too caught up in being respectful to catch the edge of panic in the blond's eyes. "Here, let me get someone to take him off your hands."

"Where...is..Sakura?" He tried again, not even thinking of letting go of his unconscious lover. Right now there was only one person he would trust with him.

"Oh! Uh...I think she's looking in on some patients. I can page-"

"WHERE?" He growled.

"Third floor...I think. But..." The new hokage was already gone.

Naruto didn't care that the dead weight Itachi was heavy. He ran up the stairs to the third floor and looked all up and down the hallways for a sign of the pink haired girl. Her hair was pink after all. How could she be so hard to find?

A green coat was suddenly in his sights and he ran forward. "Sakura!" She turned and was about to smile when she saw the bundle in his arms.

"Naruto? Who is-"

"Later. He's hurt. You have to help him."

"Of course, I'll just let emergency know."

"NO!" Sakura saw something flicker through the blue eyes and hesitated.

"But, Naruto..."

"Please?"

Sakura sighed. She looked at her chart for a moment then grabbed his arm. "Come on, we'll put him in here."

Naruto put him on the bed and it was only then that Sakura noticed the long black hair and the pale skin. She gasped at first, thinking it was Sasuke. But the hair was too long. Sakura stared into Naruto's eyes, which pleaded with her to treat him and not ask questions. It was going to kill her not to ask, but she would comply with his wishes for now. She nodded at her friend and watched as he relaxed minutely. She ran to the door and yelled to the nurse on the floor. "I need Ino and Hinata now!" She knew she could trust her friends not to talk. The nurse scrambled to obey and Sakura hurried back to the unconscious man and started methodically checking his injuries. Ino and Hinata showed up minutes later.

Ino gasped. "Oh god, Sasuke!"

"That's not Sasuke." Sakura replied. Ino looked closer and her eyes widened.

"Isn't he supposed to be dead?" Sakura glared at her friend's big mouth.

"Ino!"

Naruto was staring at the three females, his eyes panic stricken. "Sakura?"

"Not now Naruto." She was done with being interrupted and directed the medics to assist her. Machines and IV's were hooked up as quickly as Naruto could blink. When they cut the black shirt off of him, that's when Naruto gasped and blanched. Blood drenched Itachi's poorly bandaged torso.

"Sakura!"

"I KNOW Naruto dammit!" Sakura sighed and reigned in her temper before she went on. "Actually, get out. You shouldn't be in here anyway."

"You can't put me out, I'm the hokage."

"And I'm the head of this hospital and I have a job to do. Now out! Before I throw you out the window. Go find Sasuke or something." Naruto was about to protest until she said Sasuke's name. Then his eyes widened. Sasuke would need to know. And the council...oh shit. He left the hospital behind and transported himself to Sasuke's house and started banging on the door.

Sasuke opened the door with a growl. "Dammit dobe, I just left you behind. What could you possibly want now?" Naruto looked down.

"Uh...you need to come to the hospital." Sasuke stared at him confused.

"Why?"

"Its..." Naruto gulped. "It's Itachi...he's hurt."

Sasuke's eyes went wide. To his memory, Itachi has never gotten hurt except the time they fought. "What happened?" he asked as he pulled on his sandals and pushed Naruto out the door locking it behind him.

"I don't know. He was fine one minute, then the next he was passed out. That's when I noticed the blood."

"Please don't tell me you were stupid enough to leave him to the hospital."

"I'm not an idiot teme. Sakura, Hinata, and Ino are working on him right now in a private room. Those three are the only ones that know."

"Hn." Sasuke said nothing else and transported to the hospital. Naruto showed up just after him.

"Follow me." He led Sasuke to the waiting area closest to Itachi's room. "We'll have to wait until their done. Sakura already forced me out the room. I doubt they'll let either of us in.

"Hn."

An hour went by.

Then two.

Naruto and Sasuke sat side by side not saying a word. Sasuke stared ahead blankly. But Naruto knew he was worried, even if he wouldn't say or show it. He didn't have time to dwell on that right now though because he was a wreck. He'd had too many emotions unleashed on him today - nervousness, elation, annoyance, happiness, and now worry. His mind was spinning. He didn't know what to do...what to say to help Sasuke...to help himself. He couldn't lose Itachi now, not when he just finally got him back. Not after all that waiting. Not when he finally knew what love was. Not when he finally knew who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Another hour of tense silence went by before Sakura tiredly walked toward them. The two best friends jumped up at once, but neither spoke. They were too afraid to ask the dreaded question.

Sakura smiled slightly. It was all they needed to know and they both relaxed with a slump of their shoulders.

"Come with me." She said and walked away. They followed. Once they were in the small room, Sakura's new office, she closed the door and set up a silencing jutsu.

"Well?" Naruto asked.

"He had various injuries - cuts and slashes, a couple of broken ribs - one of which was dangerously close to puncturing a lung, the worst, though, was the stab wound. It went straight through him and that's where most of the bleeding came from. He was fortunate it didn't hit anything vital. He lost so much blood, that's why the whole process took so long."

"So he'll be ok." Sasuke asked.

"Yes, with some rest, he'll be fine. Now, I have a question for the two of you." Naruto sighed, knowing what was coming but nodded anyway. "Why is it that neither one of you look surprised at seeing him not only alive, but here?"

"Heh...yeah, about that..." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "remember that botched mission to Iwa?"

"Of course."

"He saved my life. Then he and Sasuke smoothed things over before he left." Sakura raised one manicured pink eyebrow and turned to Sasuke. He gave a nod and a shrug to show his agreement. Of course, it was an oversimplified explaination, but this was Naruto after all. Then he turned his head and smirked at the blond.

"You neglected to mention the hot springs dobe."

"Shut up teme!" Naruto growled. Sakura grinned in a way that promised pain if he didn't comply.

"What happened at the hot springs Naruto?"

"Uh..." He wondered if he could transport himself to the tower from here.

"Don't even think about leaving this room baka." She started cracking her knuckles.

_'Oh hell...'_ "I saw him there...scared me half to death at the time. He left the day after since he had a job to do."

"He's a missing nin Naruto."

"Wrongfully so. And thanks for reminding me. I plan to have that little technicality resolved tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"Nothing...hokage business. Now have we satisfied your curiosity enough to see the patient?"

Sakura sighed. "No...but, I guess I can't stop you. Hey, why are you so concerned anyway? I can understand Sasuke, since he's family and all, but you..."

Naruto walked toward the door. He didn't look back. "Let's just say I have a vested interest in him staying alive."

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke sat across from one another on opposite sides of Itachi's bed. They both tried to ignore the beeping of machines.

"So, you're really going to take this to the council?" Sasuke asked.

"It's not like I have a choice. As soon as I talk to you I'm going to have summons sent to the council to meet at first light."

"Hn."

"You need to be there." Naruto saw the question in Sasuke's onyx eyes and went on. "Two reasons. You'll be the one to testify on Itachi's behalf. Make sure you bring the clan scrolls - everything on the sharingan, the coup, Madara, and Itachi."

"And the second reason."

"I need an Uchiha on the council."

"W-what?"

Naruto chuckled softly. "You probably don't remember but the Uchiha clan has always had a place on the council. Of course, it was never mentioned to you because the three old bats on the council never wanted you to know. They would be happy to never see another Uchiha on the council."

"How long have you known? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because, it wasn't my place. And Kakashi obviously had his reasons for not telling you. I can tell you now because I'm the hokage, and I plan to take advantage of my new position to make sure your brother doesn't die...again."

"Fine, I'll be there."

"Good." Naruto stood and gave his lover one last glance. With a sigh he steeled his features. "I better get going and prepare for tomorrow. I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

The council chambers was empty, save one individual.

Naruto was sitting in the center chair, the one reserved for the hokage, going over what he wanted to say in his mind. He knew he would have to be smart. Danzou may no longer be around to make life miserable, but the other two council members could make this meeting hell if he didn't do this right. He hoped Sasuke brought everything. It was the only way he could pull this off.

The door opened and let in a stream of light. Sasuke walked in with a bag full of scrolls.

"How long have you been in here dobe?"

"Only about an hour. It doesn't matter, I'm too nervous to sleep anyway. You brought everything? The council stuff?"

"Yes dobe. Relax, I brought everything."

"Alright." Naruto ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. He had done everything he could think of, now all that was left was to let things play out. He could only hope things would work in his favor. "How is he?"

"Still sleeping. Maybe he'll be awake by the time this is over."

The door opened again before Naruto could reply and he watched all the other council members walk in and take their seats.

Naruto stood and smiled at everyone. "Good, you're all here. I'm glad you all could make it on such short notice."

"What could be so important that you would summons us so early and just one day after your appointment?" Utatane Koharu asked, her eyes narrowed. It was easy to tell she was annoyed at being there.

"And why is he here? That _Uchiha _is not a council member." her teammate, Mitokado Homura added.

"No, he's not, but he should be and you both know that." Both stayed silent. They didn't expect the new hokage to know about that. "This council has been without a representative from the Uchiha clan for years. It will be rectified today. Take a seat Sasuke."

With a short nod, the brunet sat in the empty seat next to Aburame Shibi.

"B-but...this needs our approval." Homura sputtered.

"No, it doesn't. It just needs mine, and I approve it." He glared at Naruto. Naruto glared back.

"Troublesome."

Naruto heard the familiar murmur and glanced at Shikaku to see a slight smirk on his face. He looked around the rest of the table and saw the respect on many of the faces there. Suddenly he didn't feel so nervous. He took a deep breath and let it out. Then he began.

"The reason I summoned you here is because there is an issue that has yet to be resolved even after over a decade."

"What are you talking about? Nothing is ever left unresolved by this council." Koharu growled indignantly.

"Are you sure? Does the name Uchiha Itachi sound familiar?"

The woman scoffed. "He's dead. And even if he wasn't, he should be. He's a missing nin, he killed his clan. So there's nothing to resolve. It's finished...was finished, long ago."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke hoping he wouldn't lose it because of such tactlessness. A pale hand was clenched into a fist, but he was still looking calm. That was good.

"Well, I have evidence right here in this bag," Naruto gestured to the bag of scrolls in front of them, "that proves Itachi was only doing his duty as a shinobi and therefore should not be considered a missing nin. It includes official documentation from Danzou and the hokage's advisors that ordered him to act as he did." The two advisors blanched.

"Ordered?" Inuzuka Tsume asked. "Why would he be ordered to kill his own clan?"

"Yes ordered. And as for why...the answer is in these scrolls. Sasuke?" His teammate nodded and found what Naruto wanted and held it out. The Aburame head took the scroll and started reading through it's contents.

"Why does it matter if he's no longer among the living?" Hyuuga Hiashi asked. Naruto had fortunately anticipated a question like that. So he was prepared.

"Because if he was only acting on orders, then he should be granted the same honor as any other Konoha ninja lost in battle, his name on the memorial stone. "

Shibi placed the scroll on the table when he finished. Everyone looked at him curious as to the contents. "It has an official seal. The orders are clear. And the names are on the scroll."

"Troublesome." Shikaku said as he began to read the scroll.

Over the next two hours, the council read every scroll. Then they questioned Sasuke about his brother, the Uchiha clan, the Akatsuki, and Madara. Once all the information was out in the open, all eyes were back on Naruto. Shibi was the first to speak.

"Now that we know the truth, what do you want to do?"

"First, I am removing Mitokado and Utatane from their positions as advisors and members of the council."

Both gasped. "How dare you! You can't do that." Naruto stood up and glared down both advisors.

"You appointed me the Nanadaime. I can and will do it. I just thought I'd give you the option of retiring with some respect in tact. But, if you want, I can just have you arrested and sent to jail."

"On what charge?"

"Treason. It's all right here in ink." He held up the scroll. "You overstepped your bounds the day you and Danzou gave Itachi the order to slaughter his family. You three were council members...advisors. It was not your place. The hokage was the only one that should've given that order."

"But we were only doing what was best for the safety of Konoha. And he complied." Naruto snorted in disgust.

"Of course he complied. He was an anbu captain. He was 13 years old. What else would he do? Say no to the council? I think not. Besides, he knew if he didn't do it, you'd just pass the job on to someone else. Either way the Uchiha clan was doomed. It may be that it was best for Konoha, but that was not your decision to make." Naruto shrugged and sat back down with feigned nonchalance. "The choice is yours..."

The two old teammates looked at one another and the rest waited to see what they would do. The silence dragged on. Finally, on some signal of their own, they both stood and said in a quiet monotone. "With your approval, I humbly retire from this council."

Naruto resisted the urge to smirk. So did Sasuke. One problem down. "Approved. You may leave." The two old advisors left quickly, still holding their heads high. In walked the two former hokages. When the door closed, Naruto let out a sigh of relief.

"Now what are they doing here?" Hiashi asked, annoyance in his tone.

"Oh. You see, before this meeting, I officially appointed Hatake Kakashi and Tsunade as my head advisors...pending the retirement of the others."

"You can't just randomly do things without our approval." Hiashi growled.

"Let's get one thing straight, shall we, so we won't have to discuss this again. The purpose of the council is to advise and assist. That's what the positions were meant for. I have no problem with you sharing your opinions and suggestions, but the final decision lies with me. I do not need your approval, nor will you make any decisions for me unless I am incapacitated. And even those decisions will have to be approved by my two head advisors."

And then there was silence. Naruto allowed them to digest his words.

"It's troublesome, but he is right." Shikaku broke the silence. "This council was not created to make decisions. Only to advise the hokage. The Sandaime allowed us to do more only during his second term because he didn't have the energy to do as much."

"So we have an understanding?" Naruto asked. After a beat, everyone nodded. He flashed a grin. "Great. Now, let's get this over with and go home. I'm sure you all have better things to do. All I want is Uchiha Itachi reinstated as a Konoha ninja." Naruto held his breath and hoped that no one would look underneath the underneath.

Too bad there's a Nara on the council.

"One doesn't have to reinstate someone as a ninja in order for their name to be memorialized. Is there any other reason why you need a dead man reinstated as a ninja hokage-sama?"

Damn that genius Nara clan. Sapphire eyes met onyx. Sasuke gave him a shrug. Well, he guessed there was no help for it.

"Uchiha Itachi isn't dead. He is in the hospital at this very moment."

"Why weren't we informed?" Hiashi growled once again.

"Because I was just informed myself." Ok, sure, it was give or take a few or more hours, but they didn't need to know the specifics.

"I thought he died by your hand Sasuke." Kakashi's one eye was wide with surprise.

"So did I. It was quite a shock to find out he was alive."

"I'm sure it was."

"You can't just reinstate him! We need to know where his loyalties lie." The Hyuuga stated.

"That's impossible, he's unconscious." Sasuke was quick to point out.

"Then we shall wait until he _is _conscious."

"That won't be necessary." Naruto interrupted. "I already know where his loyalties lie. And so should you. You just read years of evidence of his loyalty. But if you need more proof, fine. A few years ago my anbu squad was on a mission near Iwa that turned out to be a trap. I'm sure you remember that. What our squad never revealed was the reason that the four of us are still alive today is because of him. He risked his own life to save ours that day for no other reason than that we were from Konoha. He has spent his entire life being loyal to Konoha and I see no need to burden that man for any further proof of his loyalty because some on this council don't like or trust him."

The chambers became silent as the council thought over what to do. Finally Shibi voiced his opinion. "I agree with hokage-sama. Even without the tale, the evidence in front of us already proves his loyalty to Konoha. I see no reason to wait for him to wake."

Naruto's eyes slowly roamed over the group. Hiashi didn't look at all happy, but the Hyuuga knew he would be in the minority so he stayed silent. "Well if there's no more objections, then I officially reinstate Uchiha Itachi as a ninja of Konoha. His status will be dealt with when he awakens. Thank you for your time and you're all dismissed."

Chairs scraped the floor and each of the council members filed out, except for the three newest members. Naruto, now in the presence of his most trusted people, let out a deep sigh of relief and slumped in his chair. That had been the most exhausting experience. He felt a hand ruffling his hair and grimaced slightly.

"You did good brat." Tsunade said with a grin lifting her hand away from the blond spikes.

"Thanks."

Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. "So, how long have you two known Itachi was still among the living?"

"I found out on the mission in Iwa." Sasuke replied.

"And you Naruto?" Naruto tried not to blush.

"Uh...I might've seen him in passing...once or twice..."

Sasuke snorted. Naruto glared at him.

"Brat..." Tsunade growled.

"Why does it matter?"

Tsunade cracked her knuckles. Naruto's eyes went wide and he backed his chair up. Except Kakashi held onto it so he couldn't move. And Sasuke was too busy enjoying his discomfort to be of any assistance.

"Crazy old hag...fine, I kinda ran into him...at the hot springs." He mumbled the last words. But the two advisors had keen hearing when they wanted to. Kakashi suddenly had a perverted grin on his face.

"Did you say hot springs?"

Naruto slumped further and lowered his head, hoping to hide the blush.

"Brat, you're blushing. Did something happen at the hot springs?"

"What? No!" No, all the stuff happened when Itachi was right here in Konoha for a day.

"Ask the dobe about what happened _after _the hot springs." Sasuke grinned.

"Teme!" Naruto stood up with a growl. Kakashi pulled him back down and Sasuke smirked as he walked out the room.

"Later dobe. I'm sure he'll be awake by the time you get there."

"I'm gonna kill you bastard!"

* * *

It took two hours for Naruto to finally get away from his nosy advisors and stalk his way to the hospital. He entered the room to find Itachi asleep and Sasuke reading a scroll. He looked up as the blonde appeared.

"About time dobe. I do need to train you know." Naruto growled.

"Shut up teme! It's all your fault anyways. You left me with a bonafide pervert and a closet one. And you gave them fuel for the fire."

"Hn...Sucked to be you then." Naruto glared and saluted his so called best friend with his middle finger. He stood next to the bed and looked down at the sleeping Uchiha.

"So, did he wake at all?"

"A while ago. Then Sakura came and checked him over and she must've slipped something into the I.V. because he's been knocked out ever since."

"Oh...alright."

"You sound disappointed dobe."

"Whatever teme...Just shut up and leave."

"Hn." Sasuke walked out with a quick wave of his hand. When the door closed, Naruto sighed and took the seat Sasuke vacated. He looked over the raven, who looked even paler than normal. Taking his hand, he smiled softly.

"What is it about you damn Uchihas?" Naruto shook his head. Somehow one was his best friend and the other he was in love with. He sighed. "You scared the hell out of me you know."

"Sorry." A sleep addled voice replied.

Naruto gasped at the unexpected reply. He looked into his lover's face to see the smoky eyes, a bit bleary, open and on him. "Itachi...you're awake."

"Impossible to sleep with you two in a room."

"Sorry...So, how are you feeling?"

Itachi blinked slowly as he got his bearings. "Better. Tired."

"I'm just glad you're ok."

"Hn."

"What happened?"

"I was careless."

Naruto raised a brow, wanting the raven to elaborate.

"The mission was taking longer than planned and I wanted to be here for you."

Maybe he shouldn't have asked. Now he felt guilty. "Itachi..." Naruto looked down and rubbed his thumb over the pale hand.

"Don't feel guilty. It was my mistake. I should have planned better. Besides, I'm here aren't I?"

"But you're hurt."

"Thanks to your pink-haired friend, I'm healing." Itachi turned his hand so he could intertwine his pale fingers with tan ones. "So, tell me about the inauguration."

"Alright. No, actually before I get to that, I have something for you." He grinned and pulled a shiny new hitai-ite from his pocket and handed it to Itachi who raised an eyebrow in question. "Congratulations! You have been officially reinstated as a Konoha ninja. We'll discuss details later." Itachi stared at the headband for a long time. It's was new, perfect, unslashed. With a slight smile, he took the headband and held on to it. He really didn't think Naruto would've been able to have him reinstated so quickly.

"Thank you." He mumbled tiredly.

"You're welcome. Now about yesterday..." Naruto began to tell him all about the inauguration ceremony. Before he even finished talking about the way Shizune ran around like a chicken with her head cut off, he looked down to see Itachi's eyes closed and his chest slowly rising and falling. Naruto chuckled softly. "I guess I'll have to tell you the rest later." He leaned down and brushed the dark bangs back and kissed the sleeping man's forehead before leaving to go back to his duties.

* * *

It had been a long day. Naruto glanced out the window at the dusky sky before turning back to his desk. He'd hardly moved all day. Between handing out new missions, taking in reports, and doing paperwork, he'd been too busy to even see Itachi. Sasuke had stopped by around 10 in the morning to tell him Itachi was doing better and was ready to leave the hospital lest he kill one of the fangirl nurses. Sasuke looked way too entertained by the fact that his brother had to deal with fangirls just like him.

He yawned and stretched. He wondered if there was some kind of trickery involved. The paperwork seemed to multiply every time he blinked. No wonder Saratobi ji-ji and baa-chan hated paperwork!

"Half an hour more and I'm leaving."

"How about now." The deep tenor he knew so well said in his ear. Then two strong hands started rubbing his shoulders. Naruto sighed and leaned back into the hands and the subsequent body that went with it.

"How did you get in here without me knowing? Matter of fact, what are you doing here?" Naruto sat straight suddenly and turned around. "Why aren't you still in the hospital?" Itachi gave him a smirk and a shrug.

"Discharged. And getting in here was quite easy. I was an anbu captain you know." He leaned forward, his hands on the sides of the chair so Naruto sat trapped in it. "I believe we have some unfinished business."

Sapphire eyes went wide for a moment before a slow grin spread over his face. "Yes, I believe we do. We were stalled by your fainting."

The Uchiha glare was turned on Naruto. "I perfer to call it passed out."

"Whatever floats your boat Itachi." Naruto replied with a grin, the glare not affecting him in the least.

"Hn." Itachi leaned further still until their lips were just brushing. Naruto moved the last bit forward making their lips meet fully. This time, it wasn't Naruto who moaned. It was Itachi. Naruto stood and took control and just let Itachi feel. He sucked on the slightly chapped lower lip nipping slightly with his teeth. Itachi's lips parted and he slipped his tongue in, exploring every inch of the hot mouth. Their tongues tangled and Itachi wrapped an arm around Naruto's slim waist and pulled him closer so their bodies molded together.

Naruto kissed over the strong jaw and his tongue lazily licked down the milky column stopping where he felt Itachi's pulse racing. He gently bit down on the pulse point, satisfied when he heard the uncharacteristic whimper slip from his love's lips. He slipped his fingers under the shirt lightly grazing the new scar that marred his lover's frame. Moving beyond, he skimmed his fingers slowly, lovingly over ever inch of skin he could reach while his tongue and teeth had minds of their own and continued the gentle assault on his neck.

"Naruto..." Itachi tried to growl, but it came out more as a moan and he almost blushed at the way Naruto seemed to be able to make him lose himself. His hands shook slightly in desperate need to feel the tanned skin he had been denied of for far too long. And he gave in to his hands' desire, sliding them under the black t-shirt Naruto wore. The hokage gasped and arched into those glorious hands that grazed the most senstive part of his stomach where the seal lay. Itachi smirked and slid the questing fingers around Naruto's back and up his spine, making him arch even further into him.

Naruto moaned and closed his eyes as the slightly calloused fingers made him shiver yet burn at the same time. Good god, he missed this.

"Naruto."

This time it was a growl and Naruto felt the sound of it resonate from his head to his toes and desire pooled in his belly. He wanted Itachi so badly. It was only through a miracle that he could remember where they were.

"I-Itachi...we can't...not here..." He said through panting breaths and then gasped as a finger grazed his nipple. "Oh god..."

Itachi's lips grazed the shell of his ear as he replied in his dark silky voice. "You are right. What I have planned we can't do here." He wrapped his arms around the blond's waist.

Naruto felt like melting from the rush of heat that went through him at the sound of the sinful voice and the words that went along with it. He didn't know Itachi was making hand signs and a moment later he found himself in his bedroom. Before he could blink, the t-shirt was gone from his frame and Itachi was removing his own. Deep blue eyes wandered over the muscular chest and stomach, cataloging every single scar on the beautiful body. Almost in a trance, he moved forward and ran his hands over the pale skin then his mouth began a trail of it's own, kissing slowly down the places his fingers left behind. He sucked on one dusky nipple and Itachi arched into him with a gasp. With a smirk, Naruto kissed down the well toned stomach while his hands worked quickly to remove the last barrier. Itachi's arousal jutted out proudly and all Naruto wanted at that moment was to taste him. He flicked his tongue experimentally over the tip.

Itachi's eyes rolled back in his head as Naruto's talented tongue slowly tortured him. He almost lost it when he was enveloped by the hot wetness of Naruto's mouth. His legs were shaking and the ache was unbearable. He swore he was about to explode into a million pieces. But not yet...not like this. He wanted to be inside his blond. With a groan that showed only a hint of his true need, he pulled away from that wonderful mouth and yanked Naruto up and kissed him hungrily. His hands moved to the slim hips and made quick work of pushing off the offending clothing that was in his way of what he wanted.

The cool air hit Naruto and he gasped. He was so hard it hurt. Then their arousals collided and he cried out in pleasure and yearning. Itachi was very quickly losing his battle with control and he pushed Naruto down onto the bed. Itachi bit down on the junction between neck and shoulder and smirked as Naruto cried out his name. Itachi knelt down and grabbed the lube out of his pants pocket then kissed up one tanned leg while his fingers caressed up the other leg. His other hand deftly popped the top on the lube and coated his fingers. He slipped one, then soon enough two and three into the tight space, groaning himself as the tight heat swallowed his fingers one by one. Just the thought of how he would be tightly encased in that same heat had his already hard erection twitching.

"Tell me you want me." He whispered in Naruto's ear.

"God yes, I want you so bad it hurts." Naruto groaned in reply arching off the bed and throwing his head back with a whimper as the long digits stroked the spot that had his legs quivering.

That needy groan went straight through Itachi's groin and he couldn't wait any longer. He quickly, with shaking hands, coated himself with lube and lined himself up. Naruto spread his legs wider and almost held his breath as he felt the thick head breach his entrance.

Sliding inside, Itachi groaned as he was slowly swallowed in tight heat. He was finally home. Not in Konoha, but here where Naruto was, around him, inside him. Naruto was home. He trembled as the threads of his control unravelled more and more the longer he stayed still. But he had to keep some semblance of control. He had a one last plan to execute.

Naruto turned his beautiful blue eyes on him and it took every ounce of control he possessed to not lose himself in those eyes. Instead, he smirked and he felt the familiar chakra burn as his eyes swirled into the sharingan and then into the mangekyou. Naruto's eyes went wide as Itachi whispered...

"Tsukiyomi."

He heard Naruto gasp before the world went black.

Naruto looked around at the red and black world. It was an eerie space and he shivered slightly at the chill. Wrapping his arms around himself, he gasped in surprise at finding himself naked and outlined in red. He guessed he shouldn't be too surprised since he was already naked at home. But the lack of color was just weird.

So this was the world he wanted to see so badly. Tsukiyomi... What did Kakashi and Sasuke have to endure here? He felt a twinge of fear, but he stamped it down. This was Itachi. He wouldn't hurt him.

"Welcome to my world." The voice echoed through the blackness. Itachi appeared out of the darkness in an outline of red, just like him. He had that infernal Uchiha smirk on his beautiful face. "Let me tell you a little about this place. You see, I have full control of everything here. And I can manipulate this place as I see fit." With a wave of his hand, the darkness suddenly morphed into a bedroom...Naruto's bedroom, except the sheets were different. They were red silk. Naruto found himself tied to the bed looking up into the red-eyed Uchiha.

"Time is very different here. What will only be minutes in the real world is 72 hours here in mine." Naruto gulped and Itachi chuckled at the look on the blond's face. "Worried love? Don't be. I assure you, for the next 72 hours there will be nothing but pleasure."

Naruto shivered at the thought of 72 hours with Itachi. But he remembered the past so well. "B-but...Kakashi...Sasuke...they were out for days." He was the hokage. He had responsibilities. He couldn't be out of it for days.

"Sasuke has already been informed that you won't be in for a couple of days and will take care of the important things while you're gone."

"You told him?"

"About this, no. This will be our little secret. I only mentioned that you and I would be catching up for a couple of days and not to bother us."

"Oh."

Itachi suddenly disappeared. A few seconds later Naruto was gasping as invisible fingers trailed over his body touching every single part of him. The threat of the unknown was making Naruto dizzy with pleasure. A throaty moan escaped as fingers one by one slipped into his opening. He was being stretched all over again and this time he felt no pain as the fingers moved inside him going deeper and deeper until they reached that secret spot. Slowly pleasure built with the stimulation and Naruto closed his eyes, consumed by white hot sparks shooting up and down his spine and through his groin.

He screamed.

When he next opened his eyes he felt, and saw, Itachi above him, his red eyes filled with lust. He watched him lean forward and then his eyes closed again as feather light kisses trailed over his skin, over his lips. He felt Itachi once again breaching the ring of muscles and slowly filling him.

Itachi closed his own eyes as Naruto's muscles gripped him like a vice and he took deep breaths to keep himself from exploding right then and there.

"God Naruto, I need to move..._please _tell me I can move." Itachi surprised himself. Begging was not an Uchiha trait.

But then no other Uchiha had ever been inside Naruto.

"Yes." Naruto whispered, his voice quivering.

And then they were moving in unison, Itachi thrusting forward and Naruto arching into him. Naruto gripped the posts his hands were tied to like a lifeline as Itachi buried himself over and over again inside him. His one last coherent thought was to wonder if they were moving this same way in real life at this exact moment. And then he was drowning in the pleasure that only Itachi could give him.

Itachi groaned as muscles tightened around him once again and he sped up, forcing himself deeper into the blond writhing underneath him, striking that spot repeatedly, making him scream to the dark world around them. He knew neither he, nor Naruto, would last much longer. With one more thrust, Naruto was arching off the bed, his whole body taut. And then he was coming, so hard...it felt like he would never stop.

Those tight walls clamped down around him and the tight coil inside Itachi finally snapped. He threw back his head and, in this world where there was no one but Naruto and Itachi...where there was no one to judge him, he let go completely and yelled out his lover's name as he came. He panted and laid his sweaty forehead on Naruto's shoulder, waiting for his heart to stop pounding and his body to cease shaking. He waved a tired hand and Naruto's hands were freed.

Moments later those arms were wrapped around him, holding him close. Fingers ran through his hair as both males slowly came down from their high. Once Naruto could finally speak, he raised Itachi's head from his shoulder.

"So, how long do we have left?" He figured it had to have been a while. Itachi chuckled and ran a hand through Naruto's sweat darkened locks.

"It's only been one minute love." Naruto's eyes were wide as saucers.

"Oh hell no!" Another 71 hours and 59 minutes to go? He wouldn't be out for days. He would be out for weeks!

Naruto groaned.

Itachi gave him a drop dead sexy smirk.

"Oh yes."

xxx

72 hours and three more days later, Naruto was finally up and walking around. Itachi's eyes followed him hungrily. Naruto growled at the raven, who smirked in response.

"Don't even think about it. I swear, I still feel worn out."

"Hn." Itachi gave him a self-satisfied grin.

"Bastard."

"Naruto! If you're not out here in ten seconds, I swear I'm coming up and I'll bring Sakura with me! You do have a job to do you know." Sasuke annoyed yell was easily heard from the bedroom. Naruto cringed. Sasuke he could deal with, Sakura he could not.

"Sorry Itachi. I'm not dealing with the wrath of Haruno Sakura. Later." He practically ran out the house.

* * *

**Ten Years Later**

It is a much more mature face that lightly reflectes from the window. A few wrinkles adorn the face. Bright blond locks still spike in every direction, but they've tamed a bit over the years, especially as the strands were allowed to grow out. The sapphire blue orbs though, remain the same. Maybe a bit more world weary, but still bright as ever.

My fingers touched the cool surface of the glass and I smiled at my hazy reflection. My younger self can be seen every day when I look out at the hokage mountain. Has it really been ten years already?

So many things have changed since I became hokage. There have been treaties signed, promises and concessions made, skirmishes here and there. In the end though, my father was right, the prophecy was right. I did bring peace. There haven't been any wars since my inauguration. Any enemies from other lands who tried anything were quickly subdued by Konoha or one of the other great ninja nations before they got a foothold. Ninja were only needed now for escort missions, catching the random missing nin, or missions recieved from nations far away.

I'm glad that baa-chan was here to see it. She died a couple of years after the last treaty was signed. Heh, I'm sure she and ero-sennin are having their fun drinking sake wherever they are.

Our world has thrived and prospered. I'm happy, of course. But sometimes I'm a bit apprehensive. All good things must come to an end as they say. Maybe it's just me being cautious, but I never get too relaxed.

I felt the presence before it appeared, but even then I didn't turn around from the window. A few seconds later strong arms wrapped around me and I sighed and relaxed in his arms.

"Thinking again?" Itachi murmured in my ear.

"Uh huh."

"You think too much."

"I know." His lips brushed against my neck and I smiled at his actions. Uchiha Itachi may seem like an emotional wall in public, but he sure had no problem showing this tender side of himself with me. I finally turned around to face him. He was still in his anbu uniform, the tattoo from many years ago still displayed proudly on his shoulder. His fox mask - he decided if I could have a weasel mask, he could have a fox one - hung off of his belt. He did consent to become the head of anbu, just like I had wanted him to. He worked the anbu like nobody's business, but they were much better off for it.

The years have been just as kind to Itachi as to me. He had a few wrinkles but they only served to make him look more distinguished. Those Uchiha genes were good for that. He wears glasses when he reads now, but I don't care. In fact, they make him look hot. Which is why I refuse to let him wear them in public.

"So what are you thinking about?" He whispered in my ear as his fingers slipped under my shirt and slowly drove me to distraction.

"The last ten years."

"Ah. Any regrets?" I held up my hand as if examining it, the ring he'd given me a few months after my inauguration glinting in the light. Itachi has one of his own, that I bought, on his finger. I had never thought of marriage before he came along and brought it up.

"Not at all. You?"

"No. I'll never regret coming back."

Yes, time had been good to both of us.

What the future holds for us, who knows. Maybe I'll retire. We could travel around the world without any threats looming over us. Maybe we'll eventually adopt some little brats of our own. That would be interesting.

The future looked pretty bright from here.

But only time would tell.

_**Owari**_

xx

xx

**a/n:** And that's a wrap. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for reading. I could never come up with these ideas without you. My muse is fed by all of you wonderful readers. Please take a moment to review. I love hearing from you.

"He better not break his promise," ..."Otherwise I am going to hunt him down, beat him unconcious, and drag him back to Konoha by his ponytail." - Thanks **Peppymint** for the quote. :) I told you I'd end up finding a way to use it.


End file.
